Kabul has become a flashpoint of concern for the international community as clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border escalate, claiming numerous civilian lives and displacing thousands. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has echoed the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)’s deep worries over the intensifying hostilities.
In a stark warning posted on social media platform X, Bennett urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint and fully comply with international human rights law (IHRL) and international humanitarian law (IHL). ‘Dialogue remains the only sustainable path forward,’ he emphasized, highlighting the devastating toll on ordinary people caught in the crossfire.
UNAMA documented at least 146 civilian casualties between February 26 and March 2, including 42 deaths and 104 injuries among women and children. Indirect shelling from cross-border skirmishes ravaged residential areas in Paktia, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kunar, and Khost provinces. Aerial strikes in Paktika and Nangarhar compounded the tragedy.
Preliminary figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicate around 16,400 families displaced in these provinces. The mission also advised hundreds of families still reeling from an August 2025 earthquake in Kunar to evacuate precautionary areas and return home or stay with relatives.
Active conflict has crippled humanitarian access, severely limiting aid delivery to the most affected regions. Agencies struggle to reach returning Afghans from Pakistan, who are particularly vulnerable. The World Food Programme has halted operations, impacting 160,000 people amid widespread severe malnutrition in several provinces.
UNAMA warns that these hostilities exacerbate Afghanistan’s already dire humanitarian crisis. The mission calls on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law, especially IHL, to protect civilians and de-escalate immediately. As tensions simmer, the world watches closely for signs of restraint and renewed talks.