Iraq: despite hundreds killed in May, UN says will of civilians ‘remains unshaken’
A total of 867 Iraqis were killed and another 1,459 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in May 2016, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
“Iraqi civilians going about their daily life have been the target of terrorist suicide bombers and car bombs. In some of these attacks, pilgrims have been singled out. Residential neighbourhoods have sustained heavy damage. Armed clashes have spared no one,” said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Ján Kubiš.
“But the will of the Iraqi people, despite all the carnage, remains unshaken and this gives hope for the future,” he added, urging the Government of Iraq to “make every effort to prevent the occurrence of such outrages.”
The number of civilians killed in May was 468, including 19 federal police, Sahwa civil defence, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police and fire department, while the number of civilians injured was 1,041, including 96 federal police, Sahwa civil defence, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police and fire department.
A total of 399 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (including Peshmerga, SWAT and militias fighting alongside the Iraqi Army, but excluding Anbar Operations) were killed and 418 were injured, UNAMI said.
The overall casualty figures rose from the previous month of April, where a total of 741 were killed and 1,374 were injured.
The figures for May are likely to increase because they do not include the casualties from Anbar Governorate, a scene of heavy combat in recent days and where the ongoing conflict has made any kind of verification extremely difficult, UNAMI said.
According to the casualties recorded for May, Baghdad was the worst-affected governorate, with 1,007 civilian casualties, including 267 killed and 740 injured.
UNAMI noted that, in general, it has been hindered in effectively verifying casualties in conflict areas. In some cases, it could only partially verify certain incidents.