The United Nations has disclosed civilian deaths in Afghanistan are at a new record high. The first half of this year was the deadliest six months for Afghan civilians since the war began in 2001. The U.N.’s director of human rights in Afghanistan, Georgette Gagnon, said deaths rose nearly 30 percent from the same period last year.

Georgette Gagnon: “We at UNAMA [United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan] documented 1,462 civilian deaths for this period, with 80 percent attributed to the anti-government elements, an increase of 28 percent in civilian deaths from the same period in 2010.”