The United Nations is sounding the alarm on spiraling violence at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where recent clashes have resulted in heavy civilian losses and widespread displacement. Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett reinforced UNAMA’s position, calling for immediate de-escalation and adherence to global legal standards.
Posting on X, Bennett stated his agreement with UNAMA’s concerns over rising hostilities causing massive civilian harm. He pressed both parties for maximum restraint under IHRL and IHL, insisting dialogue is the enduring answer.
UNAMA’s latest tally from February 26 to March 2 shows 146 civilians affected: 42 fatalities and 104 injuries, prominently featuring women and children. Indiscriminate shelling from border exchanges damaged homes in Paktia, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kunar, and Khost. Airstrikes in Paktika and Nangarhar added to the casualties.
Citing OCHA data, UNAMA estimates 16,400 families displaced in the afflicted provinces. It further recommended that hundreds of Kunar families, displaced by a 2025 earthquake, relocate from risky zones to safer havens.
Conflict has strangled humanitarian corridors, hampering life-saving aid and partner operations. Pakistan-returnee Afghans are especially at risk. The World Food Programme paused distributions, endangering 160,000 amid rampant acute malnutrition.
These events compound Afghanistan’s humanitarian emergency. UNAMA demands full compliance with international laws, particularly IHL, to shield non-combatants. As the crisis unfolds, global pressure mounts for cessation of fighting and substantive negotiations.