The United Nations is criticizing the Iraqi authorities for barring access to figures of casualties in the country.
While previous reports on human rights included statistics on killings, the latest report of the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said the Iraqi authorities has not allowed the organization access to the Ministry of Health’s mortality figures for the period from the beginning of January to the end of March.
In its latest report on the human rights situation in Iraq, UNAMI stressed the “utmost need” for Baghdad to operate in a transparent manner.
The U.N. noted that even without the official mortality figures, there was a high level of violence during the reporting period.
The report said large-scale indiscriminate killings and targeted assassinations continue to impede efforts to bring lasting stability and security to Iraq.
UNAMI said the number of reported casualties rose in March, even though government officials said there was a drop in the number of killings in late February after the Baghdad Security Plan was launched, beefing up the number of Iraqi and American troops in the capital.
The organization also expressed concern that people arrested in the framework of the security plan were not given their due rights.
It noted the lack of due process for detainees held on suspicion of involvement in terrorism in the region.
Human Rights Watch is urging the Iraqi government to publicize official figures on civilian casualties, calling these figures “an important barometer of the war’s human cost.”
The U.N. says the government is reluctant to release the figures because they fear it will highlight the severity of the situation and undermine efforts to establish security and stability in Iraq, according to HRW.
The last report, issued in January 2007, said 34,452 civilians were killed and more than 36,000 wounded in 2006.