Violence in Iraq kills at least 1,232 people in November

Violence in Iraq kills at least 1,232 people in November – UN

1 December 2014 – Some 1,232 people – mostly civilians – were killed by violence in Iraq in November, the top United Nations official there said today as he called on Iraq’s political, religious and social leaders to rise above their differences and work to consolidate the democratic process.

“With nearly 12,000 people killed and nearly 22,000 injured since the beginning of 2014, Iraqis continue to be daily subjected to the unspeakable horrors of killing, maiming, reign of terror, displacement, extreme forms of intolerance and poverty”, said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov.

The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) reported that the number of civilians killed and wounded was around three times the size of the number of Iraqi Security Forces members, with civilians accounting for at least 936 of deaths and no fewer than 1,826 of those injured.

The figures for Iraqi Security Forces personnel killed amounted to 296, though the figures did not include casualties from operations in Anbar, with 608 injured.

The worst affected Governorate was Baghdad, which saw 1,253 civilian casualties, including 332 killed. Though the total casualty numbers recorded in Anbar were lower, more people – a total of 402 – were killed.

The Mission obtains its figures for casualties in Anbar Governorate from the Health Directorate there and in some cases, UNAMI could only partially verify certain incidents. The Mission also received, without being able to verify, reports of large numbers of casualties who died from secondary effects of violence after fleeing their homes.

UNAMI’s figures, which are conservative and which may under-report the actual numbers, should be considered the absolute minimum.

ENDS

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