UN rights chief urges Pakistan, Afghanistan to end fighting

GENEVA

The UN human rights chief on Friday urged the Pakistan military and Afghan security forces to immediately halt fighting and prioritize civilians caught in the escalating violence along their border.

Since hostilities intensified last week, Volker Turk said in a statement that 56 Afghan civilians, including 24 children and six women, have been killed, while 129 people, among them 41 children and 31 women, have been injured.

Up to 66,000 people have been displaced in Afghanistan, according to the UN.

In Pakistan, Turk said, shelling and gunfire have also forced residents to flee, with at least two schools reportedly struck and more than 100 closed.

"Civilians on both sides of the border are now having to flee from airstrikes, heavy artillery fire, mortar shelling and gunfire," he said. "I plead with all parties to bring an end to the conflict, and to prioritise helping those experiencing extreme hardship."

Turk called on all parties to ensure civilian protection in line with international human rights and humanitarian law and to conduct independent investigations into alleged violations.

"As a result of the violence, humanitarian assistance is unable to reach many of those desperately in need. This is piling misery on misery," he said.

Nearly 22 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian aid, including over 11.6 million children.