UNAMA Urges Afghanistan and Pakistan to End Clashes

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and Pakistan to put an end to the ongoing clashes.

At a press briefing, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General urged both parties to uphold their international obligations to protect civilians.

Stéphane Dujarric, citing UNAMA, said the UN office in Afghanistan has documented incidents of civilian casualties inside the country. According to its findings, from February 26 to March 2, at least 146 civilian casualties were recorded, including 42 deaths and 104 injuries, among them women and children.

Dujarric stated: “The Mission reiterated its call for a halt in the fighting and also called on all parties to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law to protect civilians.”

According to UNAMA, more than 16,000 families have been displaced in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kunar, and Khost.

Dujarric also noted that as a result of the clashes, humanitarian and health facilities, including the emergency hospital at the Torkham crossing and a transit center operated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have sustained damage. The World Food Programme (WFP) has also suspended its operations in several affected areas, a move that he said will impact 160,000 people.

He added that movement restrictions in conflict-affected areas have reduced the ability of humanitarian organizations and their partners to deliver life-saving assistance. Afghan returnees from Pakistan have been particularly affected and remain highly vulnerable.

Meanwhile, reactions to the clashes continue. Salman Ahmad Nadwi, a prominent Indian scholar, recently said that Pakistani military actions aimed at serving U.S. and Zionist interests in the region and gaining foreign approval are threatening regional stability.

He described the Islamic Emirate’s retaliatory action against Pakistani forces as an “individual religious obligation” (fard ‘ayn) and characterized it as a battle between truth and falsehood.

Nadwi also said: “I am pleased that India’s policy and government stance are to assist and cooperate with Afghanistan, and Afghanistan has maintained good relations with India. My wish is that these ties, which have existed for a thousand years, will continue.”

At the same time, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern over reports of child casualties in the fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan and called on both sides to exercise restraint and protect civilians.