KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Hundreds of families in eastern Nangarhar province have been displaced by ongoing cross-border clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters, with many sheltering in temporary camps after their homes were damaged or destroyed, local sources said.
According to the sources, residents from border districts including Durbaba, Nazyan, Achin, Goshta, Momand Dara, and Haska Mina fled their homes in recent days as fighting and airstrikes intensified along the frontier.
Many displaced people have relocated to a temporary camp in Behsud district, Nangarhar, where they are living in tents, the sources said.
Displaced residents say their houses were damaged or destroyed in Pakistani airstrikes and rocket attacks during the clashes, leaving them without homes or basic belongings.
Nasrullah, a resident of Goshta district, said his house was struck by a missile from Pakistan a few days ago.
“Three members of my family were injured, our livestock were lost and our house was destroyed,” he said, adding that the attack forced his family to leave their village and move into a tent in the displacement camp.
Another resident, Mohammad Akbar from Momand Dara district, said both his house and shop were destroyed during the attacks. He said many residents in his area fled to save their lives as the violence intensified.
The displaced families say they urgently need food and non-food assistance and are living in difficult conditions in temporary shelters.
Meanwhile, Qureshi Badaloon, head of the Taliban’s Information and Culture Department in Nangarhar, said the Afghan Red Crescent Society and charitable groups were providing aid, with international organizations expected to deliver further assistance soon.
Clashes erupted last week and continue along the border, with Pakistani military airstrikes targeting multiple sites in eastern Afghanistan.
According to a recent update by the United Nations covering the period from February. 26 to March 5, at least 56 civilians were killed and 129 injured in Afghanistan during the hostilities, with women and children making up 55% of the casualties.
The violence has affected at least 10 provinces and displaced about 23,370 families, or about 163,590 people, across the country, according to the UN figures.
Several countries including China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United Nations have urged both sides to cease hostilities and pursue dialogue, with some offering mediation.
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering fighters from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and allowing cross-border attacks on Pakistani territory, allegations the Taliban deny.
