New York: The United Nations ‘was very concerned’ about the safety and protection of tens of thousands of people in Lashkar Gah Afghanistan which could be trapped with the battle between government and Taliban forces, a UN spokesman on Wednesday.
The Taliban has increased their campaign to defeat US-backed government since April as foreign forces completed their withdrawal after 20 years of war.
“Since the beginning of nearly 360,000 people have been forcibly transferred by conflict in Afghanistan.
About 5 million people have been displaced since 2012,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said to reporters.
The fight has been very heavy around the city of Herat, near the Western border with Iran, and Lashkar Gah and Kandahar in the south.
“We are very concerned about the safety and protection of people in Lashkar Gah, in the south, where tens of thousands can be trapped by battles,” Dujarric said.
He also said in Helmand and Kandahar “there were reported to improve civilian casualties, destruction or damage to civilians, as well as critical infrastructure and hospitals.”