UN is concerned about civilians in Afghanistan's Lashkar Gah
(VOVWORLD) - The United Nations is deeply concerned about the safety and protection of tens of thousands of civilians in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Afghanistan's Helmand province, as they can become trapped by fierce fighting between government forces and the Taliban, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Wednesday.
 Refugees at Mazar-i-Sharif camp, Balkh province, Afghanistan, on July 31, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
Since the start of the year nearly 360,000 people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict in Afghanistan. About 5 million people have been displaced since 2012, according to Dujarric. There are reportedly increased civilian casualties, destruction or damage to civilian houses, as well as to critical infrastructure and hospitals, he said.
The same day, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that clashes in Helmand and Kandahar have forced civilians to flee to safer places.