By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN Aid coordination office OCHA on Wednesday reported that the clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have continued with humanitarian access to affected areas still restricted.
OCHA reported that casualty figures “cannot yet be independently verified” due to limited access.
It said that schools and markets in several border districts remain closed amid ongoing instability, while mortar fire has forced families to flee villages in northwest Pakistan.
Aid operations in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been temporarily suspended, although assistance continues in the south of the province, OCHA said.
UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reiterated its call for a halt to the cross-border clashes.
UNAMA called on all parties to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and to ensure the protection of civilians.
It noted that in Afghanistan, cross-border shelling and airstrikes have caused civilian casualties and damage to homes. In Nangarhar Province, 5 civilians, including children, were injured near the Torkham crossing, while two others were wounded in Nazyan district.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed “Civilians must be protected at all times, as well as civilian infrastructure.”
The International Organization for Migration warned that further escalation could worsen one of the world’s largest returnee crises, with more than 5 million Afghans returning over the past two years, placing severe strain on already overstretched communities.
