Security Situation and Violence Continue to Take a Terrible Toll on the Men, Women and Children from all of Iraq's Communities
| Publisher | UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) |
| Publication Date | 1 June 2015 |
| Cite as | UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Security Situation and Violence Continue to Take a Terrible Toll on the Men, Women and Children from all of Iraq's Communities, 1 June 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55b615934.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
According to casualty figures released today by UNAMI, a total of 1,031 Iraqis were killed and another 1,684 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in May 2015*.
The number of civilians killed was 665 (including 59 civilian police and casualty figures in Anbar), and the number of civilians injured was 1,313 (including 86 civilian police and casualty figures in Anbar).
A further 366 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (including Peshmerga, SWAT and militias fighting alongside the Iraqi Army / Not including casualties from Anbar Operations) were killed and 371 were injured.
Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate with 1,044 civilian casualties (343 killed, 701 injured). Diyala suffered 134 killed and 88 injured, while Salahadin suffered 24 killed and 32 injured, Ninewa 42 killed and Zero injured; and Kirkuk 16 killed and 06 injured.
According to information obtained by UNAMI from the Health Directorate in Anbar, the Governorate suffered a total of 583 civilian casualties (102 killed and 481 injured). This included 29 killed and 267injured in Ramadi and 73 killed and 214 injured in Fallujah.
"Current developments in and around the city of Ramadi and in Anbar Governorate once again showed grave consequences of ISIL's actions for civilians, as around 237,786 individuals have been displaced from and within Anbar Governorate to date, while thousands were killed and injured, sometimes in the most horrendous way", the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq Jan Kubiš said, underscoring that a military solution alone will not be enough to defeat ISIL. "For any military gains to be sustainable, the government of Iraq must adopt a set of confidence-building measures towards disaffected communities, enabling them to assume a share in governing their matters, and assuring them of the State's ability to ensure their protection from violence, to deliver justice and create conditions for their fair participation in society", SRSG Kubiš further stated.
* CAVEATS: In general, UNAMI has been hindered in effectively verifying casualties in conflict areas. Figures for casualties from Anbar Governorate are provided by the Health Directorate and are noted below. Casualty figures obtained from the Anbar Health Directorate might not fully reflect the real number of casualties in those areas due to the increased volatility of the situation on the ground and the disruption of services. In some cases, UNAMI could only partially verify certain incidents. UNAMI has also received, without being able to verify, reports of large numbers of casualties along with unknown numbers of persons who have died from secondary effects of violence after having fled their homes due to exposure to the elements, lack of water, food, medicines and health care. For these reasons, the figures reported have to be considered as the absolute minimum.
