The OCHA services have reported that in the last three months tensions have flared in Kandahar, Uruzgan and Helmand provinces , leading to the destruction of property and key infrastructure, as well as significant population displacement throughout the region. The principal cause for these altercations is linked to the warfare between the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) versus a non-state armed group (NSAG) that have created a spike of turmoil throughout the country.

 Sadly, these provinces have suffered the consequences of increased tensions. ReliefWeb has reported that clashes between the NSAG and ANSF continued, with improvised explosive attacks (IED) leaving two dead near Gizab and another eight severely injured around Tirinkot. In Helmand, IED’s have also been planted in the Nahr-eSaraj and Nawa-e-Barakzaiy districts. Alongside this, the NSAG are reported to have taken credit for the targeted killings of three ASNF soldiers in Lashkargah city. 

The civilians caught in the cross-fires are now seeing the effects of the inability to move within their local borders. They do flee from their homes but are then stranded in rural areas because armed groups have placed IEDs on main roads that cross through the provinces. Interagency associations have concluded that in Kandahar there were about 3,000 displaced persons and a total of 1,660 of them have already received immediate humanitarian assistance. Around 1,300 of those have been found in Helmand province, as of January 27th of this year. 

When placing together all of the affected provinces including Helmand, Kandahar, Kuduz, Badakhshan, and Takhar the OCHA has reported that 30,653 people have received humanitarian relief from the recent flare up in conflict. Hence, there is much work to be done in order to mitigate and lessen the tension in Afghanistan. It’s crucial that the international community be at the forefront of that mission in order to achieve success.

To learn more, please read: 

https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghanistan-weekly-humanitarian-update-25-31-january-2021 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/10/1075342 

Author: Sergio Gomez; Editor: Xavier Watkins