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Airstrikes and clashes displace thousands as Afghanistan–Pakistan tensions escalate: UN
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday airstrikes and Durand Line clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan from 26 February to 3 March have affected at least 10 provinces as tensions between the two countries escalated.
According to OCHA, the violence impacted the provinces of Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Parwan, Paktia and Paktika.
As of 4 March, at least 56 civilians have been killed and 129 others injured, while hostilities remain ongoing in Nangarhar, Kunar, Khost, Paktia and Paktika provinces.
OCHA estimates that 16,370 families have been newly displaced by the fighting, including 2,500 families in Khost, 3,500 in Kunar, 2,500 in Nangarhar, 470 in Paktika, 7,000 in Paktia and 400 in Nuristan.
The displacement comes in addition to around 7,000 families still displaced after the 31 August 2025 earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, bringing the total number of displaced families to about 23,370, or roughly 163,590 people.
OCHA said the new displacement is worsening existing vulnerabilities. In Kunar Province, 3,640 families who had been living in informal settlements after the earthquake have been evacuated or ordered to leave areas near a military compound and return to their original locations. Another 2,074 families in Kunar and Nangarhar are at risk of secondary displacement.
Airstrikes have also damaged civilian infrastructure, including health facilities and humanitarian sites. Among the affected facilities are a 20-bed emergency hospital at the IOM Transit Centre and the Omari Returnee Reception Centre at the Torkham Crossing in Nangarhar.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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