KEY POINTS:
British defence officials are refusing to compensate the families of hundreds of Afghans killed, wounded or left homeless in fighting involving British troops.
Despite pledges to reduce collateral damage in Afghanistan, the number of legal claims lodged by Afghan civilians against the British Government has grown more than five-fold during the past 12 months to almost 1300, suggesting a dramatic increase in innocent victims.
Yet of the 1289 claims filed, just 397 have been settled, new Government figures reveal. In addition, less than £150,000 ($408,500) in compensation has been paid to civilians injured or killed during fighting involving British soldiers in Helmand province. The British Government is currently spending almost £400,000 a day on military operations in the country.
Yesterday, human rights groups condemned the stance of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on compensating innocent victims as "scandalous", claiming the majority of alleged victims are being denied payments.
Britain is also refusing to support an international compensation scheme set up to help Afghan civilians caught up in the conflict.
Sarah Holewinski, of the international monitoring group Human Rights Watch (HRW), said: "The UK has no systematic way of compensating civilians when they're harmed. This means some Afghans get help while others don't. The calculus behind who gets paid and who doesn't is known only to the MoD and the commanders on the ground.
"For all the money being put into military operations, it's scandalous they are not offering some of those affected even a modicum of support."
The death toll of Afghan civilians remains one of the most contentious aspects of the conflict. The Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, on whose mandate 8000 British troops are currently fighting the Taleban, has said no civilian casualty is acceptable. Yet a new report compiled by a former senior Pentagon official will this week reveal a sharp upsurge in Afghan civilian casualties over the past two months.
The HRW report reveals new casualty data based on military records, hospital admissions and on-the-ground testimonies. It says civilian deaths from US or Nato-led operations almost doubled during last year to at least 434, with another 200 killed in the crossfire during fighting between Taleban fighters and international forces.
This year at least 173 innocent Afghans have been killed in Nato and US operations. Of these, 119 died during US air strikes, a number involving British troops, and 54 from fighting on the ground. Civilian casualties for 2006 were 230.
WHAT IT'S COST
* £400,000 Spent a day by the British on military operations in Afghanistan
* £150,000 Paid in compensation to civilians injured or killed during fighting involving British soldiers in Helmand.
* 1289 Claims of compensation lodged by Afghan families for injuries, deaths or the destruction of their homes by British troops.
* 397 Claims settled so far.
* 8000 British troops fighting the Taleban.
* 434 Civilian deaths from US or Nato-led operations last year.
* 200 Civilians killed last year in the crossfire during fighting between Taleban fighters and international forces.
* 173 Civilians killed so far this year in Nato and US operations.
* 119 Civilian deaths this year as a result of US air strikes.
* 300 Tonnes of bombs dropped on Afghanistan during June and July this year, the same as the amount dropped on the country during the whole of 2006.
- OBSERVER
