U.N. 'very concerned' about Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- A Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan coupled with other anti-government forces are to blame for a 31 percent rise in civilian deaths, a U.N. agency said.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan in its 46-page midterm report on Afghanistan blamed the Taliban and other militants for contributing to the 31 percent increase in civilian casualties during the first six months of 2010 compared with the same time last year.

The report said more than half of those killed by insurgents were children.

"They are being killed and injured in their homes and communities in greater numbers than ever before," said Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan.

U.S. and international forces were blamed for several deadly attacks on Afghan civilians, though the report said deaths attributed to pro-government forces were down 30 percent during the reporting period.

With international and Afghan forces pushing deep into the Taliban heartland in the Afghan south, UNAMA said more than half of the assassinations and killings during the reporting period occurred in southern Afghanistan. Conflict-related civilian deaths rose overall by 43 percent in the south.

UNAMA in its midterm report called on the Taliban to withdraw its order to kill civilians and urged international military forces to provide more accountability on their link to civilian casualties.

Kabul, meanwhile, should create institutions that lead the response to civilian incidents and prosecute any Afghan soldiers connected to deaths or injuries to Afghan civilians.

"We very concerned about the future, because the human cost of the conflict is unfortunately being paid too heavily by civilian Afghans," the special envoy said.