The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned Friday that escalating clashes between Taliban and Pakistan have displaced more than 115,000 people and left civilians facing worsening humanitarian conditions.
In a statement, the aid group said that since strikes began on Feb. 26 in eastern provinces including Kunar and Nangarhar, at least 76 civilians have been killed and 213 injured.
“Families who were already on the brink of survival have been forced from their homes,” said Jacopo Caridi, NRC’s country director in Afghanistan.
Thousands have sought shelter in makeshift camps or with host families, while others have been forced to rent substandard housing they can barely afford, the group said.
“They have lost access to clean water, health services and schooling,” Caridi added.
The violence is part of escalating tensions between Taliban and Pakistan, with both sides trading accusations. Pakistan has accused Taliban of harboring militants, a claim they deny.
According to the United Nations, at least 10 provinces in Afghanistan have been affected by airstrikes, artillery and drone attacks, while Taliban have launched retaliatory operations across the border.
The conflict has intensified in recent weeks, including a March 16 strike on a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul that killed hundreds, according to Taliban, though casualty figures remain disputed.
The NRC said the expansion of attacks into urban areas signals a worsening of the conflict and has already damaged or destroyed at least 800 homes.
“It is vital that parties to the conflict respect international humanitarian law,” Caridi said. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be a target.”
Residents displaced by the fighting described sudden violence and uncertainty about their future.
Bakhtiar, a 65-year-old man who fled his home near the Torkham border with his six children, said his family escaped after heavy shelling late at night.
“Within minutes the attacks became very intense. We had no choice but to run,” he said.
The family is now living in an empty poultry shed provided temporarily by a local farmer.
“We left everything behind — our belongings, our clothes, everything,” he said. “We don’t even know what has happened to our house.”
The NRC also warned that Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis is being worsened by cuts to international aid, with the country now among the least-funded humanitarian responses globally.
“With a world in turmoil, Afghans must not be forgotten,” Caridi said, adding that rising food prices and border closures are making survival even harder for displaced families.
