News / Afghanistan

Nearly 150,000 Afghans displaced in first six months of 2016: UN

Saturday, 16 July 2016 9:23 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 16 July 2016 9:24 AM ]

An internally displaced Afghan family attends a demonstration against the government in Kabul, October 7, 2015. (Photo by AFP)

The United Nations (UN) says nearly 150,000 Afghan residents were displaced from their homes in the first six month of 2016 as a result of violence in Afghanistan.

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said many of those displaced were farmers, who missed critical sowing and harvest times.

The UN report said the northern province of Baghlan was among the worst-hit areas by the nationwide conflict that is still affecting at least 29 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.

According to the report, armed clashes in Baghlan, Kunduz and Badakhshan in recent months have left hundreds of families homeless.

Afghan protesters shout slogans as they sit on the street during a demonstration against the government in Kabul, October 7, 2015. (Photo by AFP)

The crisis has also put the livelihood of affected locals at risk and further deteriorated food insecurity across Afghanistan.

The latest figures show that the number of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country has surpassed the one million mark this year.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has not yet commented on the UN report.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed serious concern last month about a rise in recruitment and killing of children in conflict-hit countries across the globe in 2015 while releasing an annual report on the issue.

According to the report, Afghanistan recorded the highest number of child casualties in 2015 since the UN began documenting civilian deaths and injuries in 2009.

This comes as a large number of civilians, including children, have been killed in the US-led airstrikes across various parts of Afghanistan over the past years.

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