Nearly 66,000 Afghans displaced amid fierce fighting on Pakistan border: UN
Al Jazeera
March 4, 2026
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The United Nations has raised alarm bells over escalating violence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, with nearly 66,000 people displaced in Afghanistan due to heavy shelling and explosions over seven days of fighting. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warns that this escalation risks further displacement and heightened humanitarian crises for civilians already facing severe challenges. The conflict began after the Taliban launched an operation against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line, a 2,640km border, in response to Pakistani air strikes in late February.
The fighting has reportedly caused civilian casualties, infrastructure damage, and mass displacement across eastern and southeastern Afghanistan. Both sides claim significant losses, with Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry estimating 110 civilians killed, including 65 women and children, and 123 wounded. Pakistan has not commented on Afghan civilian casualties but continues its operations, aiming to prevent armed groups from using Afghan territory for attacks. The conflict has also disrupted critical aid programs, with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) suspending emergency food distributions in over 46 districts, impacting approximately 160,000 people already facing severe food insecurity.
The humanitarian situation is further exacerbated by personal accounts of displacement and hardship. In Kunar province, a laborer reported that thousands of families have fled their homes, leaving villages nearly empty. The ongoing violence
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Originally published on Al Jazeera on 3/4/2026