Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan Hit Record High Amid US Troop Withdrawal: UN

Afghan security forces inspect the wreckage of a passenger van after a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 12, 2021. Stringer via Reuters

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit a record high in May and June of 2021, when U.S. troops began their withdrawal, according to a July 26 U.N. report.

The overall number of civilian deaths and injuries in the first half of 2021 rose by 47 percent to 5,183 compared to the same period in 2020 and inched toward the 2017 record of 5,272, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan report (pdf) states.