The UN reported that 1160 civilians were killed by Taliban or insurgent activities in 2008, and these are likely only an estimate given that in many Taliban-dominated areas, civilians are afraid to report individual targeting, threats, or other losses. If so many are affected by insurgent parties, what can be done to compensate and help…
Posted by: Erica G. One of the most difficult challenges we faced this year in our Afghanistan work was how to get compensation to victims of Taliban or insurgent abuses. They are not only responsible for a greater proportion of civilian deaths (55% in 2009, according to the UN), but often because of insurgent tactics…
Posted by: Catherine Philp, Journalist In Rwanda last week, organisers put on a ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of the genocide that killed 800,000 people in just 100 days. But next door in eastern Congo, tens of thousands of civilians are still caught up in the ongoing conflict that has killed more than five…
Posted By: Erica G. WASHINGTON, DC – I received an email recently from a friend in Afghanistan who helps develop local girls’ schools. She got a call from the family of a community elder who had assisted her in establishing a school for 200 girls in Taliban-heavy Logar province. The family said a week before…
Posted By: Sarah We wouldn’t usually be involved in the planning of a military operation, not in the real world. And yet here we are at Ft. Leavenworth role playing an NGO, with access to everyone from Special Ops and logistical support teams to the Commanding General. It’s a tribute to the US military and…
Posted By: Marla B Sarah and I are here at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas this week at the Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC). CGSC is a leading educational and intellectual center for the Army in developing leaders for full spectrum joint, interagency and multinational operations. We were invited to participate in a training exercise…
Posted by: Erica KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – This week I’ve had a lot of meetings at the Kabul headquarters for the NATO mission here, ISAF. Everyone in Kabul, but especially the military types, are humming about a new “comprehensive strategy” for Afghanistan. A quick survey of the event coverage and op-ed sections of most US newspapers…
GAZA – I trekked across the Sinai Peninsula after watching the fighting from the Armistice line for a few weeks in December and January. Israel wouldn’t let human rights monitors into Gaza, so I decided to take my team of researchers in through Egypt once the fighting stopped. I’ve been to Gaza twice before –…
KABUL, Afghanistan – I’ve written generally in the last few blogs about the compensation and victim assistance issues that CIVIC analyzed in our recent report. Let’s take a concrete example of the type of harm and redress we’re talking about. A few months ago, I met several families who lost relatives and friends in a…