UNAMA calls for immediate halt to Afghanistan–Pakistan cashes

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has urged an immediate end to fighting between Afghan security forces and Pakistani security forces, warning that ongoing clashes are exacerbating Afghanistan’s already dire humanitarian situation.

In a statement issued Tuesday, UNAMA called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and to prioritize the protection of civilians. The mission continues to document incidents of civilian casualties while humanitarian agencies report escalating disruption to aid delivery and growing displacement.

Civilian Casualties and Displacement

From the evening of 26 February to 2 March 2026, UNAMA recorded at least 146 civilian casualties across Afghanistan, including 42 deaths and 104 injuries, among them women and children.

These preliminary figures include casualties caused by indirect fire from clashes across the disputed Durand Line frontier, affecting residential areas in Paktya, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kunar and Khost, as well as airstrikes in Paktika and Nangarhar provinces.

According to preliminary data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), approximately 16,400 households have been displaced across the five affected provinces.

Hundreds of families still displaced after the August 2025 Kunar earthquake — Afghanistan’s deadliest in nearly 30 years — have been advised to leave the area or relocate to relatives’ homes as a precaution.

Restrictions on movement due to active conflict have limited humanitarian agencies’ ability to deliver essential assistance, leaving Afghan returnees from Pakistan particularly vulnerable.

Impact on Humanitarian Operations

Several humanitarian and medical facilities, including the emergency hospital at the Torkham crossing and an IOM transit center, have sustained damage. The World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended operations in the affected areas, impacting approximately 160,000 people who rely on food distributions. Several provinces are experiencing critical levels of acute malnutrition.

UNAMA also noted that Afghanistan’s western border with Iran could see a rise in returning Afghan populations, further straining already limited humanitarian resources.

The mission emphasized that immediate cessation of hostilities and unhindered access for humanitarian actors are essential to prevent further civilian suffering.