BAGHDAD — Iraq witnessed a sharp increase in civilian deaths following the fall of large swaths of territory to the Islamic State in summer 2014. Now despite a string of recent battlefield losses for the Islamic State, civilians in Iraq continue to die at a “staggering” rate, according to a new United Nations report.
At least 18,802 civilians were killed and an additional 36,245 were wounded in Iraq between the start of 2014 and Oct. 31 of last year, according to the U.N. report released Tuesday. In just one six-month period between May and October last year, more than 10,000 civilians were killed.
“Despite their steady losses to pro-government forces, the scourge of (the Islamic State) continues to kill, maim and displace Iraqi civilians in the thousands and to cause untold suffering,” U.N. envoy Jan Kubis said.
The numbers are nowhere near the death tolls recorded during Iraq’s bloody civil war. In 2006 more than 34,000 civilians were killed, according to U.N. data.
Meanwhile, a report issued Wednesday by Amnesty International said that Iraqi Kurdish forces are deliberately destroying Arab villages under their control. The human rights group said these actions could amount to war crimes.
Kurdish forces, the report says, bulldozed, blew up and burned down thousands of homes in Arab villages recaptured from the Islamic State.
“The forced displacement of civilians and the deliberate destruction of homes and property without military justification may amount to war crimes,” said Donatella Rovera of Amnesty International.
In the fight against the Islamic State, the United States has closely supported Iraq’s Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga, with airstrikes, intelligence and training.
