KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – About 20,000 families have been displaced across Afghanistan due to recent clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.
The clashes, which erupted on February 26, affected 64 districts in 12 provinces, according to the WFP. The UN agency said it is providing lifesaving assistance, including fortified biscuits, cash, and food, in the hardest-hit areas.
The clashes erupted after months of cross-border tensions and lasted about three weeks before both sides announced a temporary pause in hostilities ahead of Eid al-Fitr. The ceasefire, which ran from March 19 to March 24 and was facilitated by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, has since ended, with Pakistan saying that its military operation “Ghazab-ul-Haq” has resumed.
Pakistani forces conducted airstrikes and ground operations in multiple provinces across Afghanistan, including Kabul, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost, and Paktika. According to the UN, at least 289 civilians were killed or injured during border fighting and Pakistani strikes across multiple provinces during that period, with thousands displaced.
Aid organization Save the Children reported that around 134,000 people were affected by the clashes, including approximately 68,000 children forced to flee their homes. Schools and humanitarian programs in eastern Afghanistan were disrupted as a result.
Civilian casualties were also reported on the Pakistani side of the border.
Regional states, including Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and Malaysia, welcomed the Eid ceasefire and urged both sides to pursue a permanent resolution through dialogue. However, Islamabad insists that it will press ahead with operations against militant groups and their support networks operating from Afghan territory.
Pakistan accuses the Taliban authorities in Kabul of harboring fighters from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allowing cross-border attacks into Pakistan, allegations the Taliban reject. Bilateral relations have steadily deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Aid agencies have warned that the latest instability is compounding an already severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where millions face acute hunger and one-third of the population requires urgent food assistance this year. Further displacement risks worsening malnutrition rates, particularly among children.
