United Nations | UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned by the escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
UN chief is "deeply concerned by the escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the impact that violence is having on civilian populations. He calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and he reiterates his call on the parties to resolve any differences through diplomacy," Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said at the daily press briefing Friday.
Dujarric further said that UN humanitarian officials are voicing concern over the impact of attacks in Afghanistan, including a reported incident at a transit and reception centre at the Torkham border crossing in the eastern part of Afghanistan.
"We continue to call on all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law; in particular, to ensure that civilians are protected at all times, as well as civilian infrastructure," he said.
UN humanitarian officials have noted that years of conflict, poverty and natural disasters, such as drought and earthquakes, have left nearly half the population, almost 22 million men, women and children, in need of humanitarian aid.
"This number will only increase if the fighting goes on or escalates," Dujarric said, adding that the UN, along with its humanitarian partners, is monitoring the situation closely and will continue to support wherever possible.
UN humanitarian officials also need more funding for their operations, he said, adding that they've only received 11 per cent – or USD 181 million of the USD 1.7 billion needed for this year's Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.
Earlier in a statement, the Secretary-General had said he was following with "concern" the reports of cross-border clashes between the de facto security forces in Afghanistan and Pakistani security forces.
Guterres had urged relevant parties to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and to ensure the protection of civilians. "Commending mediation efforts by several Member States in recent months, the Secretary-General urges the parties to continue to seek to resolve any differences through diplomacy," the statement had said.
Responding to a question on Pakistan declaring that it is in "open war with Afghanistan", Dujarric said the UN political mission in Kabul is obviously closely monitoring the situation, in touch with people there, and various contacts are being had.