Humanitarian officials say escalating cross-border fighting has displaced tens of thousands as artillery strikes, air attacks, and drone warfare intensify along the frontier.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
More than 100,000 civilians have fled their homes amid intensifying clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to warnings issued by the United Nations as fighting along the frontier approaches conditions resembling open warfare.
Humanitarian officials said the displacement crisis has rapidly expanded during the past week as artillery barrages, airstrikes and ground engagements spread across communities near the border. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees urged both governments to halt military operations and focus on addressing the growing humanitarian emergency created by the fighting, according to a statement released by the agency and reported in a U.N. announcement.
U.N. officials indicated that the humanitarian impact appears particularly severe inside Afghanistan. Reports from the conflict zone indicate at least 56 Afghan civilians have been killed during the hostilities, including 24 children and six women, while approximately 66,000 residents have been forced to abandon their homes due to the violence. Pakistani authorities disputed those figures, maintaining that their military operations have not caused civilian casualties inside Afghanistan.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk appealed to both governments to stop the escalation and prioritize civilian protection.
“Civilians on both sides of the border are now having to flee from airstrikes, heavy artillery fire, mortar shelling and gunfire. I plead with all parties to bring an end to the conflict, and to prioritise helping those experiencing extreme hardship,” Türk said.
Humanitarian agencies say the displacement crisis has been worsened by longstanding tensions involving Afghan migrants living in Pakistan. According to international relief officials, Pakistan implemented what it described as an “illegal foreigners repatriation plan” in September 2023 that resulted in the deportation of more than two million Afghans who had been living in the country.
Millions of additional Afghan nationals are believed to remain inside Pakistan, many of whom humanitarian groups say face ongoing uncertainty about potential detention or deportation.
“As a result of the violence, humanitarian assistance is unable to reach many of those desperately in need. This is piling misery on misery,” Türk said, noting that nearly half of Afghanistan’s population already depends on humanitarian aid following years of economic collapse and Taliban governance.
“The cycle of retaliation and violence only deepens the suffering of the wider population. I urge both Afghanistan and Pakistan to de-escalate and address the security issues they each face through dialogue, negotiation and mutual cooperation,” he said.
Tensions between the neighboring countries have simmered for years, but the conflict has intensified sharply in recent days. Sporadic clashes have occurred along the border since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Relations deteriorated after the Taliban government declined to suppress militant groups operating along the frontier that Islamabad says are attempting to destabilize Pakistan.
The relationship between the two countries has been further strained by diplomatic developments involving regional rivals. Pakistan has accused the Taliban government of strengthening ties with India, Islamabad’s longtime geopolitical adversary. Afghan officials have countered by accusing Pakistan of backing insurgent factions seeking to undermine Taliban rule in Kabul.
The conflict escalated dramatically last week when Pakistan’s defense minister announced that the government had lost patience with the Taliban leadership and described the situation as effectively entering a state of open war.
Fighting continued into Friday, with multiple firefights reported across border regions, according to reporting from Reuters. Both governments issued competing claims about battlefield losses, each asserting that their forces had inflicted greater damage on the opposing side.
Pakistan’s military said it carried out airstrikes targeting Kandahar, the Afghan city that serves as a major political center for Taliban leadership. Officials in Islamabad also stated that 14 Taliban border outposts had been destroyed and that Pakistani forces shot down a drone allegedly operated by Taliban fighters.
Afghan officials disputed the Pakistani account and said Taliban forces launched their own offensive action against a Pakistani military installation located in Balochistan province.
Residents living near the frontier reported that artillery fire and military operations have forced families to flee in both directions across the border.
Pakistani government spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi indicated that diplomatic efforts to end the conflict are not currently underway, according to remarks reported by Sky News.
“There is nothing to talk about. There will be no dialogue, and no negotiations. Terrorism from Afghanistan has to end. That is Afghanistan’s problem. Pakistan’s responsibility is to protect its citizens,” Zaidi said.
With heavy weapons exchanges continuing and no ceasefire negotiations reported, humanitarian officials warned that the number of displaced civilians could rise further if the fighting persists.
Original article
Comments