This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The number of civilians killed or injured in Afghanistan climbed last year, the UN said, even as foreign troops headed home by the thousand and the prime minister, David Cameron, declared "mission accomplished" in the country.

There was a sharp rise in casualties from battles between Afghan government and Taliban forces, the report on the protection of civilians said, and it was the deadliest year for women and children in nearly half a decade.

"Armed conflict took an unrelenting toll on Afghan civilians in 2013," the top UN envoy to Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, said in a statement. "More ground engagements led to more civilians being killed and injured in their homes and communities from crossfire."

The 7% rise in the number of civilians killed, to nearly 3,000, was just below the record level of deaths in 2011. The overall toll from more than a decade of fighting is now more than 14,000.

There was a slight fall in deaths the previous year, but UN officials had warned that was due to a particularly harsh winter in 2012 hindering the Taliban's ability to mount attacks rather than any security improvement. They said the latest figures were consistent with longer-term trends.

Overall insurgents were responsible for three-quarters of the casualties, and the UN called on them in particular to rein in the effect of worsening violence.

Taliban attacks on mullahs and mosques accused of supporting the government tripled, and targeted killings of others accused of ties to Kabul, like election workers, tribal elders and judicial officials, rose.

The UN warned that these attacks are against international law, and called on the insurgents to enforce their own code on civilian casualties.

But the report also said the government needs to do more to limit civilian casualties at the hands of its soldiers and police, and to limit abuses within the security forces.

The fighting is having an effect beyond deaths and injuries. Many children are being squeezed out of school by commanders who requisition the buildings for military bases, with seven school occupations reported in 2013.

The UN also reported several dozen cases of arson, intimidation, homemade bombs, raids and ground fighting that interrupted education at schools around the country.

The rising intensity of the conflict is adding fast to the Afghan war wounded as well as the dead. The total number wounded was up nearly a fifth to 5,656, higher than injuries in 2011 and a grim new record for the country.

International forces were only responsible for 3% of deaths and injuries, the report said. They killed 147 people and injured 114, and deaths from airstrikes were down by about 50%.