UN: Some 5,500 Civilians Killed in Iraq This Year

Violence in Iraq has killed more than 5,500 civilians over the first six months of the year, the U.N. said Friday in a new report that documents the massive humanitarian toll of an ongoing Sunni militant offensive in the country.

In its report, the U.N. mission to Iraq said at least 5,576 civilians were killed and another 11,665 wounded in Iraq from Jan. 1 through the end of June. Another 1.2 million people have been driven from their homes by the violence, it said.

The pace of civilian deaths over the first six months marked a sharp increase over the previous year. In all of 2013, the U.N. reported just over 7,800 civilians killed, which was the highest annual death toll in years.

The report also documents human rights abuses by both sides of the conflict that may constitute crimes against humanity or war crimes.

The U.N. urged all sides in the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians, and to respect international law and humanitarian law.