KABUL: Renewed border clashes between troops of Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated humanitarian conditions in eastern Afghanistan, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), local media reported on Thursday.
At least seven people were killed, and 79 others were injured in airstrikes and shelling in Afghanistan's Asadabad city and parts of Kunar province on April 27.
The violence has caused damage to civilian infrastructure, including a fuel station, parts of a university dormitory, a religious affairs office, and a drug rehabilitation centre, according to the OCHA. The agency stated that such destruction is further affecting already fragile public services, Afghanistan's leading news agency, Khaama Press, reported. OCHA stated that increasing damage to civilian facilities, especially health centres and schools, has been reported in recent weeks.
According to the agency, over 10,000 have been displaced in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan due to ongoing clashes since February. Large-scale displacements have been witnessed in provinces, including Kunar, Nangarhar, and Khost, forcing local residents to flee with limited access to shelter, food, and medical care.
According to OCHA, at least 19 health facilities have been shut, suspended, or are functioning at reduced capacity, impacting around 78,000 people. Water supply systems in several villages have also been disrupted, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. More than 13,000 students have been affected in Kunar and Nangarhar as dozens of schools have been damaged, Khaama Press reported.
OCHA warned that continued insecurity, infrastructure damage, and limited humanitarian access are exacerbating the crisis and delaying recovery for impacted people.
Aid agencies have stressed that there is an urgent need for immediate relief as well as reconstruction and rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure, including schools, clinics, and water systems, to restore basic services. (IANS)
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