Afghanistan Situation Update #1: Humanitarian Impact of Afghanistan-Pakistan Military Escalation (5 March 2026)

HIGHLIGHTS

• From 26 February to 3 March, airstrikes and border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan affected ten provinces—Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Parwan, Paktia and Paktika—following several days of escalating hostilities between the two countries.
• As of 4 March, 56 civilian deaths and 129 injuries have been recorded.
• Humanitarian partners estimate that 16,370 families have been newly displaced across Khost (2,500), Kunar (3,500), Nangarhar (2,500), Paktika (470), Paktia (7,000) and Nuristan (400). In addition, 7,000 families remain displaced following the 31 August 2025 eastern region earthquake, bringing the total number of displaced families to approximately 23,370 (around 163,590 people). As of 4 March, hostilities remain ongoing in Nangarhar, Kunar, Khost, Paktiya and Paktika provinces.
• Displacement is compounding existing vulnerabilities: some 3,640 families (25,480 people) displaced following the 31 August 2025 eastern region earthquake and living in informal settlements in Kunar Province have been evacuated or received evacuation orders due to their proximity to a military compound and forced to return to their areas of origin. A further 2,074 families (14,520 people) earthquake IDPs living in Kunar and Nangarhar face the prospect of secondary displacement.
• Airstrikes have damaged civilian infrastructure, including health facilities and humanitarian sites, notably a 20-bed emergency hospital located at the IOM Transit Centre and the Omari Returnee Reception Centre both at the Torkham border in Nangarhar Province. Humanitarian partners temporarily relocated staff from high-risk areas, including Spin Boldak and Takta Pul, to Jalalabad and Kandahar City while Border Consortium Forum members have relocated all staff from Torkham (Omari Returnees’ Camp, IOM Transit Center and Zero Point) to Jalalabad City. In addition, eight nutrition service delivery sites are closed across Khost, Kunar and Nangahar provinces.
• Multi-sector rapid needs assessments accompanied by fortified biscuit distributions are underway in affected provinces, though access remains constrained in some areas such as Paktika due to ongoing hostilities.
• On 3 March 2026, according to news reports, President Erdoğan (Türkiye) offered to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan, specifically by helping reestablish the collapsed ceasefire and supporting diplomatic engagement to reduce tensions along the border. Additionally, Russia and China have also expressed willingness to mediate and have called for de-escalation.
• As of 5 March, Kabul International Airport remains operational; however, security-related disruptions and regional airspace restrictions linked to the US–Iran conflict have affected flight operations. UNHAS has suspended regular flights to Jalalabad and Kandahar, maintaining only a weekly service to Dushanbe. Weekly flights to Kandahar will be restored from 8 March.