Oslo, March 21 (IANS) The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned that over 115,000 people have been displaced in Afghanistan, with civilians facing worsening humanitarian conditions following the conflict between the Taliban and Pakistan.
“Families who were already on the brink of survival have been forced from their homes. Thousands have found refuge in makeshift camps and with local families. Others are being forced to rent substandard accommodation they can little afford. They have lost access to clean water, health services and schooling,” said Jacopo Caridi, Director of the NRC in Afghanistan.
According to the NRC, since the start of the Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nangarhar provinces in February, as many as 76 Afghan civilians had been killed, and another 213 had been injured.
Highlighting the March 16 Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, that killed hundreds, the aid agency said that the rising attacks on urban areas indicate an escalation in the conflict.
The NRC stated that at least 800 homes have been damaged in Afghanistan so far, with families likely to need years to recover from the loss.
“It is vital that parties to the conflict respect international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be a target,” said Caridi.
Recounting his ordeal, 65-year-old Afghan civilian Bakhtiar said that he was forced to flee his home in Torkham, close to the Pakistan border, with his six children after heavy shelling.
“It was around 10 at night when we suddenly heard rockets and gunfire. Within minutes, the attacks became very intense. We had no choice but to run,” the NRC quoted Bakhtiar as saying.
The aid agency noted that Afghanistan has been hit hard by cuts to aid funding and remains one of the lowest funded humanitarian responses globally, with conflict now restricting people from accessing even the limited assistance available.
“With a world in turmoil, Afghans must not be forgotten. Rising food prices and closed borders are making survival even harder for families whose lives have already been shattered by conflict,” said Caridi.
The hostilities escalated when Taliban-led Afghan forces launched retaliatory operations against Pakistani military installations on February 27, following Pakistan’s actions inside Afghan territory on February 21.
Earlier on Wednesday, Afghanistan said it would pause its ‘Rad al-Zulm’ defensive operations for Eid at the request of mediating nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
Pakistan also announced a temporary pause in military operations for Eid, with Information Minister Ataullah Tarar stating that the decision was taken at the request of the regional mediators.
However, Afghanistan’s Chief of Armed Forces Fasihuddin Fitrat accused the Pakistani military of violating the ceasefire along the Durand Line, local media reported on Friday.
Several people were killed in attacks conducted by Pakistani forces in border areas, according to the statement released by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence.
Fitrat stated that Pakistan’s continuous attacks despite the ceasefire “demonstrates a lack of commitment and deception” by Islamabad, Afghanistan-based Ariana News reported.
–IANS
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