Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism – UN website reported, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement that there was “fear and dread” across Afghanistan, which had driven people to flee their homes.
Women have been flogged and killed in areas overrun by the extremists, while journalists and human rights defenders had also been attacked and killed, Ms. Bachelet said.
Reports of violations that “could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity” have emerged, including “deeply disturbing reports” of the summary execution of surrendering government troops. Since 9 July in four cities alone – Lashkar Gah, Kandahar, Herat and Kunduz – at least 183 civilians have been killed and 1,181 injured, including children.
On Monday the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also reported a rapid escalation of violations against children in Afghanistan, following the deaths of 27 children in the country in the past 72 hours, and 136 who were injured. But “the real figure could be much higher,” as “these are just the civilian casualties we have managed to document,” Ms Bachelet said.
Even before the latest Taliban military offensives on urban centres, the UN had documented a steep increase in civilian casualties.
To date, the Taliban has overrun 192 district administrative centres in Afghanistan, attacked provincial capitals and reportedly overrun at least six provincial capitals in Nimroz, Jawzjan, Kunduz province, Takhar and Sar-e-Pul.
Repeating the High Commissioner’s condemnation of reported Taliban violence against communities, including women, rights defenders and journalists, she told correspondents that “women are already being killed and shot for breaching rules,” whilst “some radio stations have stopped broadcasting”.
