Border Violence Deepens Afghan Displacement Crisis: Displaced International Calls for UN Action and Civilian Protection
Displaced International (DI) expresses deep concern over the recent border clashes between Pakistan and Taliban forces, which have caused significant civilian suffering and renewed displacement along the Afghanistan–Pakistan frontier. These hostilities have further worsened the plight of vulnerable Afghan populations—internally displaced persons (IDPs) and forcibly returned refugees—who already struggle to survive without adequate assistance or protection.
“Afghans have already endured more than four decades of displacement, conflict, and external interference—yet they continue paying the price for policies made by others,” said Ambassador Ashraf Haidari, Founder and President of Displaced International. “We urge Pakistan to exercise utmost restraint, avoid actions that harm civilians, and work constructively with the United Nations to end cross-border violence through dialogue and de-escalation. The Afghan people—among the world’s most long-suffering displaced populations—should not once again bear the human cost of regional rivalries and strategic miscalculations beyond their control.”
Escalating Border Violence and Humanitarian Crisis
Reports indicate that Pakistani airstrikes and artillery fire have struck civilian areas near the border, killing and injuring dozens of Afghans and forcing many families to flee their homes. Violence has been most severe in Spin Boldak, Kandahar, where displaced families face dire shortages of shelter, clean water, sanitation, food, and healthcare while exposed to ongoing hostilities. At least 18 people have been killed and more than 360 wounded in recent clashes. UN agencies warn that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating for more than half of Afghanistan’s population. This renewed violence compounds existing trauma, further obstructing recovery and reintegration for Afghans displaced across and within the country.
The clashes have also deepened the suffering of Afghans forcibly repatriated from Pakistan and Iran over the past year. Most returnees have received no reintegration aid and now face renewed insecurity, arbitrary violence, and destitution. Families who fled persecution or poverty abroad are once again displaced inside Afghanistan, victims of the same militarized dynamics that drove their flight.
Forced Repatriations and Property Demolitions in Pakistan
DI is alarmed by reports from Karachi that long-standing Afghan refugee settlements are being demolished and confiscated by Pakistani authorities under the pretext of land clearance. Entire neighborhoods have been razed, displacing hundreds of Afghan families who have lived there for decades. Meanwhile, the accelerated forced repatriation of other refugees continues without due process, violating international protection principles and Pakistan’s obligations under customary refugee law.
DI calls on Pakistan to immediately cease all attacks on civilian areas, including those hosting displaced persons and refugees, along the border. The Afghans suffering today are the same people repeatedly uprooted by the destructive consequences of Pakistan’s long-standing sponsorship and support for Taliban-linked groups prior to 2021. They must not be punished again for the outcomes of a policy that has already devastated millions of lives.
The Path Forward: UN Action and Afghan State Legitimacy
DI urges the United Nations Secretary-General to help convene an emergency UN Security Council session on the deteriorating situation along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. The UN and its member states should condemn Pakistan’s cross-border attacks and the Taliban’s reciprocal hostilities, demand a sustainable ceasefire and civilian protection, launch an independent investigation into civilian casualties and property destruction for reparation, and hold all responsible parties accountable under international humanitarian and human rights law.
These recurrent border crises stem from a deeper problem—the absence of legitimate governance in Afghanistan. Only a results-oriented, UN-led conflict resolution process focused on restoring state legitimacy, ending impunity, and ensuring inclusion can break the cycle of violence, displacement, and regional instability. Without such a framework, Afghanistan will remain a staging ground for militant groups that endanger both Afghans and their neighbors, perpetuating the suffering of millions of Afghans, including those who remain displaced across the country.
