Afghan civilian casualties hit a new high

Afghan civilian casualties: Why have they hit a new high? - BBC News: 

UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto described the civilian deaths as "deeply harrowing and largely preventable".
"The escalation in ground fighting and overall insecurity, compounded by a lack of respect for human rights and international humanitarian law by parties to the conflict, particularly anti-government elements, led to an overall deterioration in civilian protection," the report said.