Iraq: More than two-thirds of those killed in August civilians, reports UN mission
“The bloodletting in Iraq continues without let-up,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, said in a news release issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which he heads. “Casualty figures remain too high and civilians again are bearing the brunt,” he added.
According to the UNAMI’s casualty figures for the month of August, a total of 691 Iraqis were killed and another 1,016 injured as a result of violence, excluding the western province Anbar, for which the mission has been unable to obtain the August figures from the local health department.
Of those killed, 473 of them – more than 68 per cent – were civilians, including 16 individuals who were members of the federal police, civil defence, personal security details, facilities protection police and fire department. Similarly, 813 of the victims – or about 80 per cent – of those injured were civilians, including 21 members of the previously mentioned civil security entities.
The mission noted that 218 members of the Iraqi Security Forces were killed and another 203 were injured.
In terms of casualties by location, the capital, Baghdad, was the worst affected governorate with 907 civilian casualties (231 killed, 676 injured). In the northern governorate of Ninewa, 116 were killed and 83 injured; in the northern governorate of Kirkuk 81 were killed and 13 injured; in the central governorate of Karbala 17 were killed and 25 injured; in the central governorate of Salahadin 14 were killed and four injured; and, in the eastern governorate of Diyala six were killed and five injured.
In the news release on Thursday, Kubiš also strongly condemned the terrorist attacks and violent acts, including recent suicide attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) at a wedding celebration in Ain Al-Tamr in Karbala that killed and wounded many, and bombings capital Baghdad.
“[We] reiterate our call on the parties to undertake every effort to safeguard the lives of civilians and urge Iraqis in general to show strength in unity in the face of this unrelenting violence,” he said.
Photo: UNICEF/Overtoun Mgemezulu
Source: www.justearthnews.com
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