Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: Fighting in southern Uruzgan province between Afghan security forces and Taliban insurgents has left thousands of families internally displaced, local officials said on Friday.
TOLOnews reported that the internally displaced families have fled to the neighboring provinces. Provincial officials said that around 6,000 families have fled to neighboring Kandahar. According to the officials, the internally displaced families are “going through difficult times” as they have poor access essential facilities such as food, potable water and proper shelter.
Provincial director of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs, Mohammad Azam Nawabi, told TOLOnews that he requested the humanitarian organizations and well-off people to help the displaced people.
“At least 260 of the families have received assistance so far. We welcome this move and we hope that it continues by other individuals and organizations,” TOLOnews quoted Nawabi.
Meanwhile, scores of internally displaced people expressed serious concerns over lack of basic facilities, saying that are faced with several problems including lack of shelter, potable water, shelter and food.
They asked the relevant government organizations to resolve their problems on emergency basis.
They said that the militants used their houses as “their strongholds”, urging the government to improve law and order situation in the volatile Uruzgan province.
“People have left their homes and now they have nothing except their clothes,” TOLOnews quoted Mohammadullah, a resident of Uruzgan, who has left his home along with his family and is living in Kandahar.
“Taliban attacked our house in an early morning. We inevitably escaped to Kandahar while others fled to other provinces,” the local news channel quoted Nafisa, another displaced resident of Uruzgan province.
According to media reports, the United Nations has assisted around 400 displaced families in Kandahar, so far.
A few days ago, the government has fired the police chief of Uruzgan after the increasing insecurity.
“Ministry of Interior sacked Uruzgan police chief Mohammad Wais Samimi on Friday [September 23],” said provincial spokesman Dost Mohammad Nayab.
He said that the police chief had been a Taliban sympathizer, adding that Sayd Aqa Saqeb, an experienced officer was assigned as acting provincial police chief.
Earlier this month, hundreds of Taliban fighters attacked Trinkot city, but were pushed back by the security forces.
Nayab added that Taliban increase their attacks on the checkpoints. He stated that Uruzgan-Kandahar highway was blocked for 15 days and people face different problems.
The Taliban planted landmines along the highway and the security forces started operations to reopen.
