The situation for children in Helmand is deeply concerning and a humanitarian crisis must be avoided, Save the Children’s Country Director in Afghanistan Chris Nyamandi said on Wednesday.

Nyamandi said in a statement that “it is deeply concerning that tens of thousands of people, many of them children, have been forced from their homes because of fighting. A humanitarian crisis must be avoided.”

This was in response to the United Nations’ estimate on Tuesday that as many as 35,000 people have fled their homes in Helmand in the past few days. 

Heavy clashes broke out in a number of districts in the southern province on Saturday night when the Taliban launched coordinated attacks in different parts of Helmand. 

Nyamandi meanwhile said: “Four decades of conflict in Afghanistan has had a devastating impact on the lives of children. Their education has been heavily disrupted and many have been maimed or killed by explosive weapons or attacks on schools and hospitals. 

“This year, children have made up a third of all civilian casualties of the violence, and that is unacceptable.

“The mental scars can be felt as deeply, too. Depression and anxiety can stay with children for many years.

“It is vital that all parties to the fighting in Helmand respect the laws of war and do everything they can to protect the children and their families fleeing the violence. Fighting must not take place near or in schools so that they can remain safe places, free from violence.

“Longer-term, we urge all parties to achieve lasting peace in Afghanistan so that children can grow up in a country free from conflict,” he said. 

This fresh bout of fighting comes amid peace negotiations currently underway in Doha between the Afghanistan Republic’s team and the Taliban. 

Despite having started talks a month ago, little progress has been made and the teams are still trying to resolve issues around the framework of negotiations going forward. 

In the meantime, violence has escalated in the country, with Helmand being the latest province to suffer under the force of insurgents.