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MSF withdraws from Dasht-e-Barchi after deadly attack on maternity ward
The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced that it has decided to end activities and withdraw from Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in Kabul, the MSF said.
In a statement released on June 15, the organization said that the decision was taken following the brutal attack on our maternity wing on 12 May, in which 16 mothers were systematically shot dead. An MSF midwife, two children aged 7 and 8, and six other people present at the time of the attack were also killed.
Dasht-e-Barchi #Afghanistan – While we don’t know who was responsible for the attack, we know enough to realise that patients, health workers and humanitarian activity were targeted, and that similar attacks may occur again in the future.https://t.co/gsZc6NvPxG
— MSF International (@MSF) June 15, 2020
“The decision comes with the understanding that while no information has emerged about the perpetrators or motive of the assault, mothers, babies, and health staff were the deliberate targets of the attack and that similar attacks may occur in the future,” the organization said.
“We have to accept reality… to remain would mean to factor in such loss of human lives as a parameter of our activity, and this is unthinkable,” said Thierry Allafort-Duverger, MSF Director-General.
“We were aware that our presence in Dasht-e-Barchi carried risks, but we just couldn’t believe that someone would take advantage of the absolute vulnerability of women about to give birth to murder them and their babies,” says Thierry Allafort-Duverger, MSF Director-General. “But it did happen.”
“Today, we have to accept reality: higher walls and thicker security doors won’t prevent such horrific assaults from happening again,” says Allafort-Duverger. “To remain would mean to factor in such loss of human lives as a parameter of our activity, and this is unthinkable.”
MSF further said that it was looking into ways to support local initiatives aimed at improving access to healthcare as the security conditions have forced the organization to withdraw from Dasht-e-Barchi.
The end of MSF’s activities in the maternity wing of Dasht-e-Barchi hospital is a necessary but painful decision, fraught with consequences for more than one million people who live in the area. Most of them are from the Hazara community, a historically marginalized and poor population, many of whom were displaced by decades of conflict.
Médecins Sans Frontières withdraws from Dasht-e-Barchi.
Following the brutal attack of 12 may, which killed 16 mothers and a midwife, @MSF has announced today its decision to end activities and withdraw from Dasht-e-Barchi in Kabul.
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— MSF Afghanistan (@MSF_Afghanistan) June 15, 2020
MSF has been working in Dasht-e-Barchi in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health since November 2014, providing free-of-charge maternity and neonatal care in one of the most densely populated areas of Kabul.
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Water crisis deepens in Afghanistan as families struggle for access
Traditional sources such as wells and karezes—underground channels that have sustained communities for generations—are now under severe strain.
As the world marks World Water Day, Afghanistan is facing a worsening water crisis, with millions of people struggling to access safe and reliable supplies.
Years of drought, declining rainfall, rapid population growth and the return of families from neighbouring countries have placed increasing pressure on already fragile water systems.
Traditional sources such as wells and karezes—underground channels that have sustained communities for generations—are now under severe strain.
In many rural areas, families are forced to rely on unsafe surface water or travel long distances to meet daily needs. Women and children are most affected, often spending hours each day collecting water.
Urban centres, including Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kandahar, are also grappling with shortages. Rapid population growth and unregulated groundwater extraction have led to significant depletion, leaving many households dependent on private wells or water deliveries.
The situation in Kandahar is particularly severe. Reports indicate that numerous wells have dried up, while others have dropped to depths of more than 100 metres.
Local community leader Fazil Rahman described water shortages as the most pressing challenge in his area, noting that even deep boreholes are failing to produce sufficient supply. He added that the crisis is disrupting education and livelihoods, as children are often forced to spend hours fetching water instead of attending school.
In response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in partnership with the Urban Water Supply and Sewage State-Owned Corporation, launched a water infrastructure project in Kandahar in 2025. The initiative aims to improve access for more than 100,000 residents through expanded pipelines, new household connections and solar-powered pumping systems.
The ICRC has also upgraded a major water pumping station in Herat, now supplying water to more than 400,000 people through tens of thousands of household connections.
Beyond urban areas, water scarcity is also affecting agriculture, the backbone of many rural livelihoods. Reduced irrigation has led to lower crop yields and increased risks of food insecurity and malnutrition.
To support affected communities, the ICRC has rehabilitated irrigation canals, karezes and flood protection systems in several provinces, including projects in Parwan Province.
Despite these efforts, humanitarian organisations warn that aid alone will not be enough. Long-term investment in infrastructure, improved water management and stronger policies will be essential to address the crisis.
Without sustained and coordinated action, experts caution that water shortages could continue to threaten public health, food security and stability across Afghanistan.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned that rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan risk spiralling into further deadly conflict unless both sides return to dialogue.
In a recent statement, the organisation said last week’s strike on a hospital in Kabul marked a significant escalation, pushing already strained relations closer to direct confrontation. Analysts say ongoing exchanges of airstrikes and artillery fire have heightened fears of a broader regional crisis.
The attack on a major drug rehabilitation hospital in the Afghan capital reportedly killed more than 400 people and injured at least 265, drawing international concern.
Islamabad has accused Kabul of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory—an allegation Afghan authorities deny. Kabul has instead condemned Pakistan’s military actions as violations of its sovereignty.
The ICG warned that current trends point to an escalating cycle of violence that could result in significant military costs with little strategic gain for Pakistan.
At the same time, the group noted that the fighting has further isolated Afghanistan diplomatically.
While several countries expressed condolences following the 16 March strike, there has been limited international condemnation of Pakistan’s actions, alongside increasing calls for Kabul to curb militant activity within its borders.
The organisation stressed the urgent need for international support to help both countries rebuild trust and address shared security threats. Without renewed engagement, it cautioned, further deadly violence appears unavoidable.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said that a mortar shell of the Pakistani military regime hit Shanpat area of Nari district of Kunar province at 9:30 am on Sunday, killing one civilian and wounding another.
The injured person is a woman, he said.
Pakistani forces also opened fire on a civilian vehicle in Shakin district of Paktika province, but no casualties were reported, Fitrat said.
The Pakistani government had earlier announced that it would halt its attacks on Afghanistan until Monday night on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
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