The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has urged the neighboring countries of Afghanistan to open their borders to receive the displaced persons. The UNHCR stated that Afghanistan's neighbors must keep their borders open as the advance of Taliban fighters has worsened the crisis in the country. A spokesperson for the agency said in a press briefing in Geneva, "The inability to seek safety could threaten countless civilian lives. The UNHCR is ready to assist national authorities in expanding the humanitarian response as needed."
Additionally, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme mentioned that the food scarcity in Afghanistan is "extremely dire" and worsening, indicating that the situation bears all the hallmarks of a humanitarian disaster. This comes amid the announcement of the Taliban's control over major cities and provincial capitals in Afghanistan within a matter of hours, increasing the number of territories fallen to the group and causing panic and terror among the residents of these cities.
The intensity of violence and fighting in Afghanistan has escalated amidst stalled negotiations between the two conflicting parties to reach a lasting ceasefire agreement and discuss the country's political future. Britain has set a condition for reconsidering the return of its forces to Afghanistan, which is facing a steady advance by the Taliban.
