Afghanistan crisis: Nearly 4 lakh people displaced by conflict in 2021 so far, says UN

The United States has already withdrawn the majority of its forces from Afghanistan, with the goal of completing the process by August 31, bringing the country's military presence to an end after nearly two decades. Since the United States began withdrawing soldiers from Afghanistan on May 1, the country has seen a spate of terror assaults. One-quarter of Afghanistan's provincial capitals have been captured by Taliban terrorists.

Approximately 5,800 displaced people came to Kabul in one month

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at the regular news conference on Wednesday, "since the start of the year, nearly 3,90,000 people have been newly displaced by conflict across the country, with a huge spike since May." According to UN humanitarian partners, 5,800 internally displaced persons (IDPs) came to Kabul between July 1 and August 5, 2021, seeking protection from the fighting and other hazards. Food, household supplies, water, and sanitary aid have all been provided to them. The majority of internally displaced people in Kabul are hosted by friends and family, according to Dujarric, but a rising number are living in the open. 

"They identified an additional 4,522 displaced men, women and children in need of shelter, food, sanitation and drinking water. A temporary health clinic and mobile health teams are providing health services to these people," Dujarric said. Despite deteriorating security, humanitarian agencies continue to distribute aid to those in need, reaching 7.8 million people in the first half of this year. 

Negotiations between Afghan and Taliban leaders are taking place in Doha

Jean Arnault, the Secretary General's Personal Envoy for Afghanistan and Regional Issues, is in Doha, where negotiations between Afghan and Taliban leaders, as well as other regional representatives and envoys, are taking place in various formats. In response to a question about whether UN offices in Afghanistan are planning to scale back or evacuate staff in light of the rapidly changing security situation and the increasing number of provincial capitals falling to the Taliban, Dujarric said future plans are constantly updated and reviewed in order to keep all UN staff safe while delivering as much aid as possible.

The UN has received reports of at least 139 people killed and 481 injured in the two weeks since combat began in the city on July 28. The city's food supply is rapidly depleting, and medical supply shortages have also been observed. In most portions of the city, electricity and water were turned off.

(Inputs from PTI)

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