About 136,000 people in eastern Afghanistan were left without access to food, health care and other basic services for weeks after tensions with Pakistan blocked a key road, prompting a large-scale humanitarian response, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
The disruption followed an escalation of hostilities in mid-February that closed the main road linking Kamdesh and Barg-i-Matal districts in Nuristan province for nearly two months, isolating remote mountain communities.
The ICRC, citing figures from local authorities and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said around 17,000 households were affected, leaving families unable to access markets, medical care or essential supplies.
A joint humanitarian response led by the ICRC, the Afghan Red Crescent Society and the World Food Program began April 21 after weeks of negotiations with parties to the conflict to secure safe and neutral access, the agency said.
The organization said the humanitarian situation in the two districts had become severe during the isolation period, with communities facing shortages of food, fuel, medicines and basic services. Movement restrictions also prevented patients from reaching referral hospitals.
Health facilities in the area came under significant strain, with limited supplies of essential medicines and equipment, and increased pressure from conflict-related injuries and displacement, the agency said.
The ICRC said the response relied on coordination with local volunteers and community networks to reach isolated populations, particularly in mountainous areas where access remains difficult.
The Taliban-Pakistan clashes that started in late February have resulted in the closure of all border crossings for passengers and trade. The clashes have also left dozens of civilians dead in the eastern provinces.
