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.