Nearly 360,000 people have been forcibly displaced by the raging conflict in Afghanistan since the start of the year, with UN chief Antonio Guterres expressing deep concern about the safety and protection of people in Lashkargah where tens of thousands of people could be trapped by fighting as the Taliban continue their ground assault.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called for an immediate end to fighting in urban areas, saying that civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence.
The latest reports show that 40 civilians have been killed and 118 injured within the last 24 hours in the city of Lashkargah as the Taliban continue their ground assault. In Kandahar, at least 5 civilians were killed and 42 wounded.
“We can tell you that we are deeply concerned about the safety and protection of people in Lashkargah, in the south, where tens of thousands of people could be trapped by fighting,” Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General Guterres, said at the daily press briefing on Wednesday.