A Deadly August: Civilian Deaths In Afghanistan's Endless War

The War in Afghanistan has resulted in a devastating loss of life. The conflict, initiated by the United States in 2001, has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, military personnel, police officers, and opposition fighters. While the exact number of casualties in August is unclear, the overall death toll is staggering. According to various sources and estimates, the war has claimed the lives of over 176,000 people in Afghanistan alone, with the number potentially being much higher when considering indirect deaths caused by disease, malnutrition, and loss of access to essential resources.

The human cost of the war is immeasurable, with countless families torn apart and communities devastated. The impact of the violence extends beyond the battlefield, as the breakdown of the economy, public health infrastructure, and essential services has had far-reaching consequences for the Afghan people. The war has also left deep psychological wounds, with high rates of mental health issues reported among Afghans.

As the conflict continues to rage on, the death toll continues to climb, and the suffering of the Afghan people persists. The world grieves for those lost and calls for an end to the violence, yet the future remains uncertain for a nation ravaged by decades of war and conflict.

The US war in Afghanistan has led to the deaths of 70,000 Afghan civilians

The US war in Afghanistan has had a devastating impact, with an estimated 70,000 civilians killed as a direct result of the conflict. This figure represents a significant portion of the overall death toll in Afghanistan, which includes military and police personnel, opposition fighters, and civilians. The true number of civilian deaths may be even higher due to indirect causes related to the war, such as disease, malnutrition, and lack of access to food and water.

The impact of the war extends beyond the direct loss of life. The conflict has led to the breakdown of the Afghan economy, public health infrastructure, security, and essential services. The consequences are felt acutely by the Afghan people, with high rates of food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty. The war has also left deep psychological wounds, with two-thirds of Afghans suffering from mental health issues according to a 2009 report by the Afghan Ministry of Public Health.

The US military's actions have directly contributed to the high number of civilian casualties. In 2017, the US military relaxed its rules of engagement for airstrikes, resulting in a 330% increase in civilian deaths between the last year of the Obama administration and the final recorded year of the Trump administration. The use of drones has also led to civilian deaths, with a botched drone strike in August 2021 killing 10 civilians, including children. The presence of unexploded ordnance and landmines from the war further endangers civilians, causing injuries and deaths even when active fighting has ceased.

The arming and funding of Afghan militia groups by the CIA has also led to serious human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings of civilians. The conflict has exacerbated existing issues in Afghanistan, including poverty, malnutrition, poor sanitation, and lack of access to healthcare and education. The impact of the war has been long-lasting and far-reaching, with almost every factor associated with premature death being worsened by the conflict.

The US war in Afghanistan has had a profound and devastating impact on the country and its people, with an estimated 70,000 civilian deaths and widespread destruction. The conflict has left Afghanistan in a state of crisis, with ongoing repercussions for the lives and well-being of its citizens.

The Taliban's strict laws have resulted in the regression of liberal and democratic rights and freedoms

Education Restrictions

The Taliban have imposed strict restrictions on the education of girls and women. In many areas under Taliban control, girls are banned from enrolling in education beyond primary school. In some provinces, such as Herat, additional localized restrictions have been introduced, such as banning lone women from entering restaurants. The Taliban have also targeted and harassed female students, teachers, and educators, creating a climate of fear and intimidation.

Employment and Mobility Restrictions

The Taliban have severely restricted the employment opportunities for women, banning them from working outside the home, including for the UN and other humanitarian organizations. Women are also required to have a male chaperone when traveling significant distances, further limiting their freedom of movement and access to economic opportunities.

Social and Cultural Restrictions

The Taliban have imposed strict social and cultural norms, such as dress codes and restrictions on access to media and technology. Women are required to cover their faces in public, and beauty salons have been forcibly closed, impacting thousands of women-owned businesses. The Taliban have also banned music and cracked down on any form of self-expression that criticizes their rule.

Violence and Repression

The Taliban have been accused of committing human rights violations, including summary executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture, and other forms of ill-treatment. They have targeted journalists, human rights defenders, civil society activists, and anyone who expresses dissent or criticism of their rule. The Taliban have also been accused of committing gender persecution, with women and girls facing systematic discrimination, exclusion, and subjugation.

Regressive Legal System

The Taliban's legal system is based on their interpretation of Sharia law and is characterized by a lack of independence and impartiality. Their courts are known for swift and harsh punishments, including public executions, floggings, and other forms of corporal punishment. The Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law has resulted in the regression of rights and freedoms, particularly for women and girls, who face severe restrictions on their education, employment, and mobility.

The Taliban's strict laws and regressive policies have had a devastating impact on the lives of Afghans, particularly women and girls, resulting in the rollback of the gains made in liberal and democratic rights and freedoms over the past two decades.

The war has exacerbated the effects of poverty, malnutrition, poor sanitation, and lack of access to healthcare

The war in Afghanistan has exacerbated the effects of poverty, malnutrition, poor sanitation, and lack of access to healthcare.

Poverty

The war in Afghanistan has led to a staggering increase in poverty rates. The Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey (ALCS) reported that the national poverty rate rose from 38% in 2011-12 to 55% in 2016-17. The Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) identified factors such as lack of infrastructure, limited access to markets, social inequity, historical and ongoing conflict, and various productivity constraints as contributors to poverty. The war has also resulted in a stagnating economy, with the poverty line defined as an income of 70 Afghanis per day, equivalent to about $1. The UNDP estimates that 97% of Afghans could plunge into poverty by mid-2022 due to the country's political and economic crises.

Malnutrition

The war has disrupted food supplies and exacerbated malnutrition in Afghanistan. The rate of wasting, or severe acute malnutrition, is extremely high at 9.5%. One in three adolescent girls suffers from anaemia, and only half of Afghan babies are exclusively breastfed in their first six months. The pandemic has further contributed to the problem, with an increase in the number of wasted children. The conflict has also led to food insecurity, with an estimated 92% of the population facing some level of food insecurity and 3 million children at risk of acute malnutrition.

Poor Sanitation

The war has also had a devastating impact on sanitation in Afghanistan. Decades of conflict have destroyed much of the country's infrastructure, including water infrastructure. As a result, only 42% of Afghans have access to safe drinking water, and open defecation is prevalent. Contaminated water has led to the spread of waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, and dysentery, which claim the lives of thousands of children each year.

Lack of Access to Healthcare

The war has severely disrupted the healthcare system in Afghanistan. The conflict has resulted in the destruction of healthcare facilities, a shortage of medical personnel, and limited access to healthcare, especially in rural areas. The ongoing violence has created barriers for people trying to reach healthcare facilities, and the lack of funding has led to shortages of medical supplies and staff. The war has also exacerbated existing challenges, such as the low literacy rate among women, which further restricts their access to healthcare.

The CIA has armed and funded Afghan militia groups, who have been responsible for extrajudicial killings of civilians

The United States has been involved in the war in Afghanistan since 2001. The CIA has armed and funded Afghan militia groups to fight Islamist militants. These militias have been responsible for serious human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings of civilians.

The CIA-backed paramilitary forces are notorious in Afghanistan, often drawing complaints from villagers and district authorities for their brutal raids, often under the cover of night. These raids have resulted in the deaths of civilians, including children.

The CIA has a long history of training, arming, and funding indigenous militia networks. Since its birth in 1947, the agency has supported anti-communist outfits in Greece, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Central America, as well as the Afghan mujahideen in the 1980s.

The CIA-backed militias are a particularly troublesome version of the regionally based militias in Afghanistan that have developed over the years around local strongmen with external support. The present units originate in the 2001 invasion, when US military forces and the CIA organized Afghan militias to fight Islamist militants. Almost two decades later, the CIA is still running local militias in operations against the Taliban and other Islamist militants.

The CIA-backed Afghan militias are responsible for extrajudicial killings of civilians. In one incident, a 12-year-old boy survived a night raid on his madrassa in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, during which 12 other boys were massacred. In another incident, a CIA-backed paramilitary squad killed 11 men, including eight who were home for the Eid holidays, in the southeastern province of Paktia.

The CIA-backed militias operate outside of the regular chain of command in the country. They are nominally under Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) but often operate almost independently of Afghan authorities.

The CIA's operations in Afghanistan have resulted in a massive increase in civilian casualties. From the last year of the Obama administration to the last full year of recorded data during the Trump administration, the number of civilians killed by U.S.-led airstrikes in Afghanistan increased by 330%.

The war in Afghanistan has inflicted invisible wounds on the population. In 2009, the Afghan Ministry of Public Health reported that fully two-thirds of Afghans suffer from mental health problems.

The US government and the Taliban signed a peace deal in February 2020, but the Taliban quickly resumed attacks

The US-Taliban peace deal, signed on February 29, 2020, was a significant development in the 18-year-long war in Afghanistan. The agreement, reached after 18 months of negotiations, outlined a timeline for the withdrawal of US and foreign troops from Afghanistan. It also included a temporary reduction in violence and a pledge by the Taliban to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory to threaten the US and its allies. In exchange, the US committed to reducing its troops in Afghanistan from 12,000 to 8,600 within 135 days, with a full withdrawal to be completed within 14 months.

However, the peace deal did not bring an end to the violence in Afghanistan. The Taliban quickly resumed attacks on Afghan security forces and civilians, despite a brief reduction in violence following the agreement. Direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, which were supposed to begin in March 2020, faced multiple delays and made little progress. Violence escalated in Afghanistan as the US increased airstrikes and raids targeting the Taliban, who, in turn, carried out attacks on Afghan government and security forces, making significant territorial gains.

The resumption of violence by the Taliban underscores the challenges in achieving a lasting peace agreement. The Taliban's strength and control over large parts of the country, along with their demands and objections, have hindered progress in negotiations. Additionally, the exclusion of the Afghan government in the initial peace deal and the lack of a formal ceasefire further complicated the situation.

The US-Taliban peace deal was intended to pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government. However, the quick resumption of attacks by the Taliban and the ongoing violence highlight the fragile nature of the peace process and the challenges that lie ahead in achieving a sustainable resolution to the conflict in Afghanistan.

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