War in Afghanistan enters ‘deadlier’ phase, UN envoy warns

Deborah Lyons pleads with UN Security Council to prevent Afghanistan from descending into a ‘catastrophe’.

The United Nations’ special envoy for Afghanistan questioned the Taliban’s commitment to a political settlement, telling the UN Security Council the war has entered a “deadlier and more destructive phase” with more than 1,000 civilians killed in the past month during an offensive by the armed group. “A party that was genuinely committed to a negotiated settlement would not risk so many civilian casualties, because it would understand that the process of reconciliation will be more challenging, the more blood is shed,” Deborah Lyons told the 15-member council via video-link from Kabul on Friday. The Taliban control large swathes of the countryside and are now challenging Afghan government forces in several large cities, including Herat, near the western border with Iran, as well as Lashkar Gah and Kandahar in the south.