Alghadeer TV Alghadeer TV
The United Nations refugee agency says thousands of Afghan civilians are likely to flee their homes due to the ongoing Taliban advances across various parts of war-ravaged Afghanistan.
According to Press TV, Babar Baloch, Spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news briefing in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday that all efforts should be done to stop what he described as an unfolding humanitarian crisis.
“Afghanistan is on the brink of another humanitarian crisis. This can be avoided. This should be avoided,” Baloch said.
The UN official said that the Taliban advances would force civilians to move either within the country or across borders.
“A failure to reach a peace agreement in Afghanistan and stem the current violence will lead to further displacement within the country, as well as to neighboring countries and beyond,” Baloch said.
“We urge the international community to step up support to the government and people of Afghanistan and its neighbors at this critical moment,” he added.
Baloch further said that those forced to flee had faced incidents of extortion by armed groups and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on major roads, as well as a loss of income and interruptions to social services.
Over the past two weeks, the Taliban surge has driven more than 5,600 families from their homes, most of them in the northern reaches of the country, dominated by the country’s ethnic minorities.
According to the UNHCR, about 270,000 civilians have been displaced inside the country since January, bringing the total population forced from their homes to over 3.5 million.
Figures from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan show the number of civilian casualties in the war rose by 29% during the first quarter compared with 2020.
