Communities at risk
Hazara, Pashtun, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmen, Baluchis
Summary
Civilian casualties rose again in Afghanistan in 2015, according to the UN, with 3,545 killed and nearly 7,500 recorded injured. The Taliban and other opposition forces continue to be responsible for the majority of civilian deaths (over 60 per cent) but civilian casualties attributable to pro-government forces are rising, both in absolute terms and as… Read more »
Peoples Under Threat Data
| 2016 Data | Peoples under Threat value |
|---|---|
| Self-determination conflicts | 4 |
| Major armed conflict | 2 |
| Prior genocide / politicide | 1 |
| Flight of refugees and IDPs | 0.121 |
| Legacy of vengeance - group grievance | 8.9 |
| Rise of factionalized elites | 9.3 |
| Voice and Accountability | -1.162 |
| Political Stability | -2.458 |
| Rule of Law | -1.534 |
| OECD country risk classification | 7 |
| TOTAL | 20.27 |
The overall measure for each country is based on a basket of 10 indicators. The number in each row is drawn from the source for that particular indicator. The sources of data and calculations used are detailed on the Notes to Table page.
Background
Civilian casualties rose again in Afghanistan in 2015, according to the UN, with 3,545 killed and nearly 7,500 recorded injured. The Taliban and other opposition forces continue to be responsible for the majority of civilian deaths (over 60 per cent) but civilian casualties attributable to pro-government forces are rising, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of total killing. Most occurred in the context of ground engagements or aerial operations, including the US attack on a Médecins sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz in October 2015 which killed 42. (Despite the long-anticipated end of the NATO International Security Assistance Force mission at the close of 2014, some 22,000 US troops remained in the country, either under the terms of a bilateral security agreement or as part of the new NATO support mission). The Taliban insurgency has always been a movement with national political ambitions, but one rooted in Pashtun communities and with strong sectarian tendencies. In 2015 there was a rise in Taliban and ISIS attacks on Shi’a Hazara in central Afghanistan, in the context of land disputes between Sunni Kuchi pastoralists and Hazara.