UN Iraqi death toll 2006

£440,000 · January 16, 2007

UN: 34,000 Iraqis killed in 2006

More than 34,000 civilians were killed in violence in Iraq during 2006, a UN human rights official has said.

The envoy to Iraq, Gianni Magazzeni, said 34,452 civilians were killed and more than 36,000 hurt during the year.

The figure is nearly three times higher than calculations previously made on the basis of Iraqi interior ministry statistics for 2006.

Accurate figures are difficult to acquire, and previous UN estimates have been disputed by Baghdad.

Mr Magazzeni said his figures were compiled from data collected from the Health Ministry, hospitals and other agencies.

There are no comparable numbers for 2005, but correspondents say the upward trend is clear and supported by evidence from the ground.

Every morning police collect dozens of bodies from the streets of Baghdad.

Most of those killed are victims of sectarian violence between the minority Sunni and majority Shia Muslims.

There are fears violence will only intensify as a result of the circumstances surrounding the execution of Saddam Hussein and his aides, who were from the Sunni community.

The taunting of Saddam in his final moments and the decapitation of his brother-in-law during an apparent accident in the hanging process have drawn intense international criticism.

Story from BBC NEWS:

January 16, 2007

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