KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – More than 136,000 people in two districts of eastern Nuristan province were cut off from food, healthcare, and basic services for over six weeks due to clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the ICRC stated that residents in the remote districts of Kamdesh and Barg-e-Matal in Nuristan faced acute shortages of food, medical supplies, and essential household items after insecurity and road closures blocked access for nearly two months.
Pakistan closed the main road linking the two districts following the outbreak of fighting, severely restricting movement, including for patients requiring urgent medical care. The prolonged blockade compounded difficulties in one of Afghanistan’s most rugged and isolated mountainous regions.
The ICRC said roads have now reopened, enabling it, along with the Afghan Red Crescent Society and the World Food Programme, to launch a multi-day operation delivering food supplies, medical equipment, and other life-saving assistance to previously inaccessible areas.
“Humanitarian organizations launched a multi-day operation to deliver urgently needed assistance to communities in previously inaccessible areas,” the ICRC said, adding that thousands had been deprived of basic needs and essential services during the disruption.
The cross-border clashes, which have continued intermittently for more than six weeks, included Pakistani airstrikes in parts of Kunar and Nuristan provinces. The violence has resulted in civilian casualties and forced thousands of families to flee their homes.
The United Nations has documented at least 76 people killed and 213 wounded between late February and mid-March, with many of the victims being women and children. Broader UN figures indicate that cross-border hostilities since late February have displaced around 94,000 people across several eastern provinces, including Nuristan.
Aid agencies say the instability is worsening Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, with millions facing acute hunger and nearly half the population expected to require food assistance this year. They warn that restricted access and continued displacement could increase malnutrition, particularly among women and children.
The ICRC urged all parties to ensure safe and unimpeded humanitarian access and reiterated its commitment to neutrality, independence, and impartiality in its work.
