More than 94,000 people have been displaced in eastern Afghanistan amid escalating clashes between Pakistani forces and the Taliban, the UN said on Friday, underscoring the growing toll on civilians along the border.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the fighting, including cross-border shelling and airstrikes, has hit some of the country’s most vulnerable regions, particularly in Khost, Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia and Nuristan provinces.
“The recent clashes have displaced around 94,000 people,” he told reporters at a briefing, adding that dozens of civilians had been killed or wounded. He said the violence had also damaged civilian infrastructure, leaving schools and health centers destroyed or out of service.
The disruption has complicated humanitarian operations. The closure of key routes in remote border areas has made it harder for aid agencies to reach affected communities, the UN official said.
Taliban have accused Pakistan of targeting civilian areas in air and artillery strikes, describing the attacks as indiscriminate and deadly.
Pakistan’s military has rejected those claims, saying its operations are precise and aimed at militant infrastructure, including training sites and positions linked to Taliban members.
The latest series of violence follows weeks of rising tensions between the two sides, marked by cross-border clashes and airstrikes across multiple provinces.
In one of the deadliest reported incidents, Taliban said hundreds were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a rehabilitation facility in eastern Kabul on March 16. The UN has confirmed at least 260 deaths in that strike, though details remain disputed.
Diplomatic efforts to ease tensions, including the week-long talks in Urumqi, China, earlier this month, have yet to produce a breakthrough.
Pakistani officials have said they are seeking verifiable commitments from the Taliban to curb militant activity inside Afghanistan. Taliban leaders, according to sources, have urged their officials to avoid public criticism of Pakistan in an apparent effort to prevent further escalation.
