UN: Ninety per cent of wartime casualties are civilians

The United Nations reported over 11,000 civilian deaths across 12 armed conflicts in 2021, Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Coordination of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said, Report informs.

He pointed out that 2022 is looking no better: "Since February 24, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded 8,089 civilian casualties in Ukraine, with 3,811 killed. Hospitals, schools, residential buildings and shelters all have come under attack, while 12 million Ukrainians have been forced from their homes. Globally, food, fuel, and fertilizer prices are skyrocketing, with a 30 per cent jump in food prices alone threatening people across Africa and the Middle East."

According to him, the Secretary-General's report outlines the grim reality that civilians bear the brunt of suffering in armed conflict. Conflict continued to cause widespread civilian deaths last year, notably in densely populated areas, where civilians accounted for 90 per cent of the casualties when explosive weapons were used, compared to 10 per cent in other areas.

In Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere, improvised explosive devices, landmines and explosive remnants of war caused civilian death, hindered access to farmland, essential services and livelihoods, and disrupted water, sanitation and health services.