The United Nations (UN) on Thursday stated that more than 800 people were killed or wounded in “deliberate attacks” targeting Afghani civilians in just the first half of 2020.
The UN raised concerns about the increase in violence being aimed at derailing peace talks.
Although in February, the violence had dropped amid the signing of a peace deal between the United States and the Taliban, immediately after the three-day ceasefire in May- attacks had risen across the country.
UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said the Taliban were responsible for half of the reported casualties.
The Taliban has continuously denied responsibility for many attacks but they do acknowledge involvement in attacks against government forces in different provinces.
The UNAMA stated, “There are spoilers who do not wish to see an end to the war. No matter what tactics they employ to de-rail the peace process, they cannot be allowed to succeed.”
The victims of these recent conflicts have been prosecutors, religious leaders, worshippers, journalists, healthcare and human rights workers.
UNAMA concluded their statement by urging the Taliban and Afghan government to not target Afghan civilians and take part in efforts to de-escalate the conflict ahead of upcoming peace talks.