Fresh outbreaks of violence on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have triggered profound UN anxiety, with Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett amplifying UNAMA’s pleas for sanity. Ordinary citizens have suffered immensely, with deaths, injuries, and forced migrations painting a grim picture.
Bennett took to X to voice support for UNAMA, demanding utmost restraint from all sides and strict observance of IHRL and IHL. He underscored that only through dialogue can a permanent resolution emerge from this quagmire.
Between February 26 and March 2, UNAMA verified 146 civilian victims—42 dead, 104 hurt, many women and kids. Stray artillery from transborder fights pummeled civilian pockets in Paktia, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kunar, and Khost provinces. Air assaults in Paktika and Nangarhar inflicted further losses.
Drawing from OCHA’s initial stats, about 16,400 households fled the chaos in these areas. UNAMA counseled post-earthquake displacees in Kunar (August 2025) to steer clear of hotspots by returning home or joining family.
Border lockdowns have throttled aid agencies’ reach, critically impairing assistance to imperiled spots and vulnerable returnees from Pakistan. World Food Programme’s activities are frozen, depriving 160,000 of meals in malnutrition-plagued provinces.
The flare-ups have intensified Afghanistan’s humanitarian meltdown. UNAMA rallies all actors to honor IHL duties and prioritize civilian safety. With stakes high, the international call for ceasefire and talks grows louder.