UN Report: 2013 was the deadliest year in Iraq since 2008
The UN reports that Iraq endured the most violent year in five years as violent attacks claimed almost 9,000 lives.
A total of 8,868 people, including 7,818 civilians, have been killed in violent attacks across Iraq in 2013, the UN says – the highest annual death toll in the war-torn country in five years.
Violence also appears to be worsening, with December alone, at least 759 Iraqis were killed and another 1,345 wounded in terrorist attacks and violence, reports the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNIRAQ).
May was the worst month with a total of 3,154 civilian casualties (including civilian police), of whom 963 people were killed and 2,191 wounded.
According to UNIRAQ, Baghdad was the worst affected area in Iraq last year for civilian casualties, with 809 (including 254 killed), followed by Nineva (331 casualties), Salahadin (262 casualties) and Diyala (260 casualties).
“This is a sad and terrible record which confirms once again the urgent need for the Iraqi authorities to address the roots of violence to curb this infernal circle,” said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Nikolay Mladenov.
He condemned “the level of indiscriminate violence in Iraq” and called on Iraqi leaders “to take the necessary steps to prevent terrorist groups to fuel the sectarian tensions which contribute to the weakening of the social fabric of society.”
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