‘These families fled because their survival was at stake,’ explained Jacopo Caridi, NRC’s Afghanistan head. Displaced populations are enduring squalid conditions in temporary shelters, host communities, or exorbitant shoddy rentals. Basic necessities like potable water, medical care, and education remain elusive for most.

February’s onslaught of Pakistani strikes has exacted a heavy civilian toll: 76 dead, 213 wounded. The bombing of a Kabul drug rehab center on March 16, which killed scores, signals a dangerous urban escalation.

Around 800 residences lie in ruins, and rebuilding could span years, according to NRC estimates. ‘Combatants must honor international humanitarian laws—civilian sites are off-limits,’ Caridi stressed.

The voice of elder Bakhtiar, 65, echoes the terror: Escaping Torkham with his six kids as rockets lit up the night sky near 10 PM, he said, ‘The barrage intensified rapidly; flight was our sole recourse.’

Compounding the woe is slashed aid funding, positioning Afghanistan as a chronically under-resourced crisis zone. Conflict disrupts remaining assistance, while food inflation and border shutdowns strangle vulnerable households.

Caridi’s call is urgent: ‘In a world of turmoil, Afghanistan’s plight demands attention. Don’t let these people fade from view.’

Tensions trace back to Afghan retaliation on February 27 against Pakistani actions from February 21. Eid brought a mediator-brokered halt—endorsed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey—with Pakistan pausing operations per Minister Tarar’s announcement. But Afghan Chief Fasihuddin Fitrath decried Pakistani ceasefire breaches near the Durand Line, with Defense Ministry statements reporting casualties from fresh attacks. ‘This reveals Islamabad’s hollow promises and treachery,’ he charged.

With Eid’s fragile peace in tatters, the cycle of violence threatens to spiral, demanding global intervention to safeguard innocent lives.