Over 350 children killed in Afghan this year, says NGO

By Sadik Kedir

ANKARA

At least 363 children were killed and 992 injured on the first half of 2018 in Afghanistan, Save the Children said Monday.

"At the same time, there has been a worrying increase in attacks on education facilities, including at least 12 attacks in Nangarhar province in the last month alone," the NGO said in a statement of which the conclusions are based on the latest UN report on Afghanistan

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Sunday confirmed a total of 5,122 civilian casualties (1,692 deaths and 3,430 injured), which is the most recorded in a first half of the year since it began documenting civilian casualties in 2009.

“It is extremely concerning to see so many civilians being killed in Afghanistan, where there has been a marked deterioration in the security situation in recent years,” Save the Children country director in Afghanistan, Onno van Manen said in the statement.

According to the UN report, the use of IEDs caused nearly half of all civilian casualties.

The report also holds Daesh responsible for 52 percent of casualties and the Taliban for 40 percent.