Afghanistan: Forced displacement of people reaches record high of one million, says reports

Human rights watchdog on Wednesday informed that nearly one million people have been displaced countrywide within the past three months in Afghanistan.

The eastern province of Nangarhar has topped the list with over 2,290 families displaced while Urozgan recorded the least number of displaced families, Afghanistan Times reported.

"At least 1,58,392 families were displaced in the first quarter of the year, with an estimate of six people per family, the tally of the displaced individuals will reach 950,000," an official from Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission said.

The commission also conducted a survey which showed that 68.1 per cent of the displacement was due to the war-torn situation in the country and subjected the Taliban violence as a main reason for the displacement.

Meanwhile, the Taliban forces have also taken control over several districts of Kandahar and have detained hundreds of residents whom they accuse of association with the government. The Taliban have reportedly killed some detainees, including relatives of provincial government officials and members of the police and army.

In another recent development, Civilian casualties in Afghanistan in the first half of 2021 reached record levels with over 1,659 people killed and 3,254 others wounded.

The rise is mainly due to a spike in violence in May that corresponded with the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

The UNAMA's Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Midyear Update 2021 documents 5,183 civilian casualties, a 47 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2020.

The Taliban in a statement reacted to the number and dubbed it one-sided.

( With inputs from ANI )