UN reiterates call for halt in fighting between Afghanistan, Pakistan

UNITED NATIONS, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Cross-border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan were ongoing on Monday, and the UN Mission in Afghanistan reiterated its call for a halt in the fighting and called on all parties to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law to protect civilians, a UN spokesperson said.

The UN mission, in line with its Security Council mandate, has recorded at least 123 civilian casualties in Afghanistan from Feb. 26 to March 1, with 34 people killed and 89 injured, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told a daily briefing.

Dujarric said that restrictions on movements in the border area due to the active conflict have reduced the capacity of humanitarian agencies and their partners to deliver life-saving and other assistance in the most-affected areas, leaving Afghan returnees from Pakistan particularly vulnerable.

According to the spokesperson, the World Food Programme has paused its activities in the affected areas, with approximately 160,000 people impacted by the suspension of food distributions, and several of the provinces impacted by the fighting are experiencing critical levels of acute malnutrition.

Dujarric added that the UN mission has warned that a potential increase in numbers of Afghan returnees is also anticipated in Afghanistan's western border with Iran, which will further stretch very scarce humanitarian supplies.

Military tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have escalated in recent days, with several rounds of exchange of fire. ■