MORE than 100,000 Afghan civilians have been killed or injured over the past decade, reported the United Nations today, renewing calls to end the bloody 18-year conflict.

The announcement comes as the Taliban and US continue to hold talks aimed at drawing to a close America’s longest war, after the negotiations were called off in September by President Donald Trump due to insurgent attacks.

However, fighting continues to rage across the country, with ordinary Afghans frequently bearing the brunt of the violence.

“I recognise with extreme sadness that civilian casualties recently surpassed 100,000 in the past 10 years alone, from the time the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan began the systematic documentation of civilian casualties,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN special representative in Afghanistan, in a statement.

“The UN urges those participating in all peace efforts to consider the millions of ordinary Afghans, especially the victims of the conflict, who want a chance to live in peace, so they can rebuild their lives.”

The grim milestone also comes days after officials announced preliminary results in Afghanistan’s latest presidential election that put Ashraf Ghani on track to secure a second term.

The Taliban has long viewed Ghani as an American stooge and refused to negotiate with him, leading many to fear that fighting will continue even if the US secures an eventual deal with the militants.

Earlier this year, the UN reported that an “unprecedented” number of civilians were killed or wounded in Afghanistan from July 1 to September 30, with 1,174 deaths and 3,139 injured in that period.

A UN tally found last year to be the deadliest on record, with at least 3,804 civilian deaths caused by the war, including 927 children. – AFP, December 26, 2019.