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Appendix C: Civilian Deaths in al-Nasiriyya

Some of the deadliest fighting of the war occurred in al-Nasiriyya and resulted in more than 1,100 civilian casualties. The city suffered more civilian casualties than any other location in Iraq, except for Baghdad. Dr. `Ali `Abd al-Sayyid, director of al-Nasiriyya General Hospital, provided Human Rights Watch with copies of all the death certificates attributed to combat in al-Nasiriyya from March 20 to April 25, 2003. More than half of the civilian deaths occurred during the intense ground battle from March 23 to March 31, 2003.

The hospital reported that 405 civilians died, including 240 males, 162 females, and three with unrecorded sex. Of the deaths, 169 (42 percent) were children under the age of eighteen, including seventy-nine males and ninety females. Dr. `Abd al-Sayyid said that an additional 705 women and children suffered injuries.

Eighteen U.S. Marines were killed in the fighting in al-Nasiriyya. Thirty-five Iraqi soldiers and two fedayeen died in the hospital’s care; more Iraqi troops likely died in the battle but were not brought to the hospital.

Note: Children are those under eighteen years of age.