AT-KABUL: As battle in Ghazni raged Monday in southern Ghazni, UN agency warned that people in the embattled city faced shortage of food and medicine.
Residents of Ghazni have seen their city turn into a battlefield since Friday morning, with fighting and clashes reportedly still ongoing. We have received initial reports of a number of civilian casualties and of people trying to reach safe areas outside of the city,” said United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) envoy Dr. Rik Peeperkorn.
A press statement quoted him as saying that medication at the main hospital was reportedly becoming scarce and people were unable to safely bring casualties for treatment. Main access roads both north and south of the city to larger cities where medical facilities are available were contested and unsafe for people to travel.”
According to sporadic reports from within the city, many families have reportedly taken shelter in their houses and are unable to leave their homes. Vital telecommunications net-works and the electricity supply are down in the city of 270,000 people which has impacted on the water supply, and food is also reportedly running low, it said.
“We call on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect the lives and rights of civilians and to protect civilian infrastructure. Notably, parties to the conflict need to ensure that access to medical services is not denied and respect for medical facilities and staff is upheld.”