Afghans displaced from Northern Kunduz seeks refuge in Kabul, faces misery

Aug 10, 2021

Kabul [Afghanistan] August 10 : Hundreds of Afghans, who have been displaced from the Northern Kunduz province, are going through horrific situations after seeking refuge in the capital city.
These people have come to settle in Kabul and are living on streets and parks, while many of them are minors, elderly, and wounded members of families and know nothing about their breadwinners-father/husband and brothers/sons, The Khaama Press reported.
These People also said that they are not aware of the situation of their loved ones and have only managed to save themselves and the children after the situation deteriorated in the provincial capital of Kunduz province.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan is witnessing a huge rise in internally displaced people (IDPs) due to the Taliban offensive, post the withdrawal of foreign troops.
According to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 244,000 people were internally displaced since May, an increase of more than 300 per cent compared with the same period last year, reports suggest.
According to the report, most of the people are fleeing from northeastern and eastern Afghanistan. Nearly all lack adequate shelter, access to medical care and sufficient food, it said.
Many initially fled their homes in rural areas due to fighting, seeking refuge in provincial capitals.
However, the fighting has shifted to urban centres in recent weeks as the Taliban closes in on many of Afghanistan's larger cities. In the last few days alone, the Taliban has assumed control of five Afghan provincial capitals, mainly in the north of the country, including Kunduz, the sixth-largest city in Afghanistan, which fell to the group on Sunday, reported Al Jazeera.
As the Taliban advance across Afghanistan shows no sign of slowing, IDP numbers are expected to increase further. At present, heavy fighting is continuing between the government and Taliban forces around the capitals of Helmand, Kandahar, Herat, and Badakhshan provinces, reported Al Jazeera.