UNAMA Says Mines and Explosives Kill or Injure 50 People Monthly in Afghanistan

April 5, 2026
Khaama Press

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says around 50 people are killed or injured every month in mine-related and explosive ordnance incidents across Afghanistan, warning that children continue to bear the brunt of the country’s long-running contamination crisis.

In a statement issued for International Day for Mine Awareness on April 4, UNAMA said nearly 80% of the monthly casualties are children.

UNAMA said Afghanistan has the third-highest explosive ordnance casualty rate in the world, with most of the incidents linked not to newly planted devices but to unexploded ordnance and abandoned munitions left behind by decades of war. Nick Pond, head of UNAMA’s Mine Action Section, said about 90% of casualties in Afghanistan are caused by such remnants, many of which remain buried in former military sites, open land and even urban areas.

According to the UN mission, more than 1,000 square kilometres of land in Afghanistan are known to be contaminated, while nearly 3 million people, around 900 schools and more than 200 health facilities are located within one kilometre of explosive hazards. UNAMA said the true scale could be even larger because many districts have still not been fully surveyed.

Pond said one of the biggest obstacles to faster clearance is a severe funding shortage, despite improved access in many parts of the country and broad support for demining work. He said stronger funding would allow contaminated land to be cleared more quickly so families can safely return to farming, schooling and daily life without the threat of hidden explosives.

Afghanistan remains one of the countries most heavily affected by the legacy of war, with mines and unexploded bombs still scattered across farmland, roads, villages and former battle zones after more than four decades of conflict. UN-linked reporting says 471 casualties were recorded in 2025 alone, many of them children and women.

The crisis is especially dangerous for children, who are often injured while playing outdoors, collecting scrap metal or walking through contaminated areas. Aid agencies say the contamination also blocks agriculture, delays reconstruction and deepens hardship in already vulnerable communities.

UNAMA said sustained international support is urgently needed if Afghanistan is to reduce daily casualties and free communities from one of the deadliest legacies of its past wars.

UNAMA Says Mines and Explosives Kill or Injure 50 People Monthly in Afghanistan
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Deadly Earthquake and Floods Worsen Afghanistan’s Troubles

April 5, 2026

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan

The New York Times

Floods have killed at least 77 people this week and destroyed or damaged thousands of homes, and an earthquake on Friday killed a dozen more.

A deadly earthquake rocked northern Afghanistan on Friday, deepening the misery of a country suffering from days of heavy rain and flash floods that have swept away people and homes, as well as a hunger crisis and armed conflict.

The floods have killed at least 77 people and injured 137 others across eastern, central and southern Afghanistan this week, destroyed almost 800 homes and damaged more than 2,600 others, according to the Ministry of Disaster Management. They have also severed roads, leaving large parts of the country disconnected.

Abdul Zahir, 24, said heavy rain destroyed the mud brick house his uncle built in Spin Boldak, on the border with Pakistan. “Yesterday afternoon, after heavy rains, the roof of the house collapsed, killing three of my cousins, who were between the ages of eight and 14, and injuring six others,” he said.

The earthquake on Friday night, with a magnitude of 5.8, was centered in the Yamgan district of mountainous Badakhshan Province but also shook the capital, Kabul, well over 100 miles away. The Afghan authorities said it killed at least 12 people and damaged 33 houses in Kabul Province.

Devastating floods are an annual threat to Afghanistan in the winter and spring, and two years ago they claimed the lives of more than 300 people in the northern provinces, but the country is especially vulnerable now.

Afghanistan is suffering a critical food shortage, while trying to absorb millions of Afghans who had long lived in neighboring countries but have recently been expelled.

The country is still trying to recover from two deadly quakes last year and the loss of $1.8 billion in aid cuts driven primarily by the Trump administration’s closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development. In addition, Pakistani and Afghan forces have clashed repeatedly over the last two years, a conflict that escalated early this year with Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan cities.

The flooding this week closed the connecting roads between the southern and central provinces, increasing the price of basic food items in the central region.

Deadly Earthquake and Floods Worsen Afghanistan’s Troubles
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UNICEF Warns Education and Work Bans Threaten Future of Afghan Women and Girls

April 3, 2026
Khaama Press

 

UNICEF has raised fresh concern over the legal and social condition of women and girls in Afghanistan, warning that restrictions on education and work are creating long-term harm that will be felt far beyond the current crisis.

The agency says these policies are not only damaging daily life, but also weakening the ability of women and girls to face future challenges safely and independently.

According to the report, the continued ban on girls’ education beyond primary school and the narrowing of women’s access to employment are increasing serious protection risks, including economic dependency, reduced access to services and greater exposure to exploitation and abuse. UNICEF says the restrictions are eroding both individual dignity and long-term resilience.

The agency also warned that the longer these policies remain in place, the more they will damage Afghanistan’s social and economic resilience, with consequences likely to affect future generations. UNICEF has repeatedly argued that excluding women and girls from school and work harms not only families, but also the country’s health system, economy and long-term recovery.

The warning comes as Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls and women are barred from secondary and higher education. A joint UNESCO-UNICEF statement in January said 2.2 million adolescent girls are already excluded from school, while millions more face declining educational quality and shrinking opportunities.

UNICEF has said the consequences of these restrictions go far beyond classrooms. The agency warns that the ban on girls’ education is increasing the risk of child marriage, reducing future earnings, worsening mental health and creating shortages of trained female professionals, especially in healthcare and education.

International agencies also say the wider humanitarian crisis is making the situation worse. With millions of Afghans facing poverty, food insecurity and shrinking access to services, the exclusion of women from work and girls from school is increasingly seen as a direct threat to the country’s ability to recover and develop.

UNICEF’s latest warning reinforces growing international concern that the continued exclusion of Afghan women and girls is not only a human rights issue, but a long-term national crisis. Without reversing these restrictions, Afghanistan risks losing another generation of opportunity, stability and social progress.

UNICEF Warns Education and Work Bans Threaten Future of Afghan Women and Girls
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NRC Calls for Urgent Aid for Families Displaced by Pakistan Attacks in Eastern Afghanistan

April 3, 2026
Khaama Press

 

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has called for urgent humanitarian aid for families displaced by recent fighting between Taliban forces and Pakistan in Afghanistan. The group said on Friday that thousands of families have been forced from their homes by the latest border violence.

According to the NRC, many of the displaced are now living in poorly equipped tents and in areas with little or no access to basic services, including shelter, clean water and healthcare. The aid group warned that emergency support is now critical to meet their most basic needs.

The appeal comes as heavy rain and flooding continue to affect parts of southern and eastern Afghanistan, worsening conditions for already vulnerable families and increasing pressure on local communities and aid providers.

Recent border clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces have triggered fresh displacement in already unstable areas, particularly in eastern provinces where communities frequently face insecurity and limited state support.

Afghanistan is also facing overlapping humanitarian crises, including conflict, climate shocks, poverty and mass return movements, leaving millions dependent on outside assistance.

The NRC says immediate aid is essential to prevent the situation from worsening further for families already displaced by conflict and natural disasters.

NRC Calls for Urgent Aid for Families Displaced by Pakistan Attacks in Eastern Afghanistan
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Pakistan, Afghanistan hold talks in China to end months of conflict

April 3, 2026
By AFP and Reuters

Al Jazeera

Published On 2 Apr 2026
China has been trying to mediate a negotiated settlement to the conflict between the allies-turned-foes.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have confirmed they are holding talks in China aimed at ending the worst conflict between the South Asian neighbours since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Senior officials from both countries are holding preliminary talks in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi to try to secure a ceasefire to end months of cross-border attacks, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday.

The fighting has killed dozens of people on both sides and disrupted trade and cross-border travel since it started in October.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring fighters who carry out attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of United States-led troops. Kabul denies the charge, saying these fighters are Pakistan’s domestic problem.

Andrabi told reporters in Beijing that the government hoped for a “durable solution”.

“Our participation [in talks] is a reiteration of our core concerns,” he said.

“The burden of real process, however, lies with Afghanistan, which must demonstrate visible and verifiable actions against terrorist groups using [its] soil against Pakistan.”

Following China’s request for talks, Afghanistan’s Taliban government said it had sent a “mid-level delegation” to Urumqi.

The Afghan side “intends to hold comprehensive and responsible talks with the other side on good neighbourliness, strengthening trade relations, and effective management of security issues”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said.

Pakistan described the negotiations as “working-level talks”.

“Our delegation has not returned yet,” Islamabad’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

China, which also borders both countries, has been trying to mediate a negotiated settlement to the conflict.

Beijing deployed a special envoy to try to broker a deal last month, but the diplomatic effort was followed by Pakistani strikes on a Kabul rehab centre that prompted international condemnation.

More than 400 people were killed in the attack, according to Afghan officials. Islamabad said the strike targeted military installations and “terrorist support infrastructure”.

The two sides then announced a pause in fighting to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye.

But sporadic attacks have been reported in border areas since the temporary truce ended.

On Wednesday, Farid Dehqan, a police spokesperson for the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, said Pakistan had fired mortars into Afghan territory late Wednesday, killing two civilians and wounding six others, including four children. He said the shelling was ongoing two hours after it started.

Andrabi dismissed the accusation, saying Pakistan conducts operations against fighters with care to avoid civilian casualties.

While addressing hostilities with its neighbour, Pakistan has also been engaged in a flurry of diplomacy to try to bring Washington and Tehran to the table and end their war.

China has backed Pakistan’s efforts, aligning itself with the aims of Gulf countries affected by the spread of the conflict in the region.

Pakistan, Afghanistan hold talks in China to end months of conflict
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Clashes Reported in Afghanistan’s Khost, Paktia Border Areas With Pakistan

April 2, 2026
Khaama Press

Fresh clashes have erupted along Afghanistan’s eastern border, with local sources reporting fighting between the Taliban and Pakistani forces in Khost and Paktia, while Taliban officials say recent Pakistani attacks have also caused civilian casualties in several provinces.

Local sources said the first clash began around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday in the Ghulam Khan crossing area of Gurbuz district in Khost province, where Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards exchanged fire. Another source in Paktia said fighting also broke out in Dand Patan district, with both sides reportedly using light and heavy weapons.

At the same time, Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for Taliban administration, said Pakistani forces had launched mortar, rocket and air attacks since Wednesday on parts of Kunar, Paktika and Khost. He said the attacks killed two civilians and wounded 25 others, most of them children.

According to Fitrat, Pakistani shelling hit Sarkano and Manogai districts in Kunar, where 10 children were among the wounded. He also said Pakistani forces fired 185 long-range artillery shells into parts of Kunar and used drones to strike Shkin district in Paktika and Zazi Maidan district in Khost, injuring several more civilians.

So far, neither Pakistani officials nor Taliban authorities have released a full account of the latest border fighting. However, the escalation comes as delegations from both sides are currently in Urumqi, China, where talks are underway to reduce tensions and halt the recent wave of violence.

Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban administration have risen sharply in recent weeks, with Islamabad accusing Afghanistan territory of being used by anti-Pakistan militant groups. Taliban officials reject those claims and say Pakistani attacks are increasingly affecting civilian areas.

Eastern Afghanistan provinces including Khost, Paktia, Kunar and Paktika have repeatedly witnessed artillery fire, cross-border raids and armed confrontations, forcing families to flee and raising fears of a broader border conflict.

The latest clashes underline the fragile and dangerous situation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where diplomatic talks have so far failed to stop violence on the ground and civilians continue to bear the heaviest cost.

Clashes Reported in Afghanistan’s Khost, Paktia Border Areas With Pakistan
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Pakistan says a new round of peace talks with Afghanistan is underway in China

April 2, 2026
By MUNIR AHMED and E. EDUARDO CASTILLO
Associated Press
April 2, 2026
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan on Thursday confirmed it was holding peace talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban government in China, where Beijing is trying to broker a lasting ceasefire after weeks of fighting that have killed hundreds, disrupting trade and cross-border travel.

The confirmation of the new round of talks came a day after officials from the two sides told The Associated Press that representatives from the countries had traveled to Urumqi in western China for them.

It was unclear who is representing Pakistan in the talks. Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a post on X that “a mid-level delegation” from his country had traveled to Urumqi for the negotiations following a request from China.

Balkhi said Afghanistan believes diplomatic engagement grounded in mutual respect and non-interference can help produce “practical and lasting solutions” to bilateral issues.

In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told a news briefing that the talks are ongoing. “Yes, Pakistan has sent a delegation to Urumqi, in line with its consistent position and longstanding practice of supporting a credible process that can help find a durable solution to cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan,” he said.

Pakistan says success of talks lies with Afghanistan

Andrabi said success of the talks largely depends on Kabul.

“The burden of a real process lies with Afghanistan, which must demonstrate visible and verifiable action against terrorist groups using Afghan soil against Pakistan,” he said.

Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan of providing a safe haven to militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.

The fighting between the two sides has been the deadliest since February, when Afghanistan’s Taliban government said Pakistan launched strikes in Kabul and several other areas, causing mostly civilian casualties. Pakistan has said it targeted hideouts of TTP. Pakistan also has said it is in “open war” with Afghanistan.

Andrabi said Pakistan has never shied away from dialogue on the issue. “We remain engaged with the Chinese leadership on this issue and other relevant international partners,” he said, but maintained that Pakistan is seeking written assurances from Kabul that Afghan soil will not be used for attacks against Pakistan.

Though China has not officially confirmed the talks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday said Xi Jinping’s government has been “actively mediating and facilitating the resolution of conflicts between Afghanistan and Pakistan.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China has “always supported both sides in resolving their differences through dialogue and negotiation.”

Afghanistan says Pakistan’s shelling continues

Despite the peace talks, Pakistan’s operations against the Pakistani Taliban along the border with Afghanistan and other militant groups will continue, according to Andrabi.

Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, posted on X on Thursday night that Pakistan since Wednesday had been “continuously carrying out mortar, missile and drone attacks” on the eastern Afghan provinces of Kunar, Paktika and Khost. He said two people were killed and 25 people, mostly children, had been wounded.

On Thursday, he said, Pakistan had fired 185 long-range artillery shells into one district in Kunar, wounding 10 people, while 178 long-range artillery and mortar shells hit other areas of Kunar, causing no casualties.

Andrabi dismissed an earlier accusation by a police spokesperson in Kunar who said on Wednesday that mortars fired from Pakistan had killed two civilians and wounded another six. Andrabi said Pakistan conducts operations against militants with care to avoid civilian casualties.

Tensions have been especially high since last month, when Afghanistan said a Pakistani airstrike at a drug-treatment center in Kabul killed more than 400 people. The death toll could not be independently confirmed, and Pakistan has disputed the claim. It denied targeting civilians, saying it struck an ammunition depot in Kabul.

The latest peace talks in China followed earlier rounds held in Qatar and Turkey, during which the two sides agreed to a ceasefire which largely remained in place until Pakistan carried out strikes in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan in late February, triggering border clashes.

Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have a history of tense relations, but the ongoing violence has alarmed the international community, particularly because apart from outlawed TTP, other militant groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State group remain present in the region and have sought to regroup.___

Castillo reported from Beijing. Associated Press writers Abdul Qahar Afghan and Elena Becatoros contributed from Kabul.

Pakistan says a new round of peace talks with Afghanistan is underway in China
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Pakistan Shelling in Kunar Kills 2 Children Amid Fresh Border Tensions

April 1, 2026
Khaama Press

Two children were killed and six other children were wounded after Pakistani forces shelled the Sarkano district of Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province, according to reports.

The attack reportedly took place around 5 p.m. on Wednesday and struck civilian areas, including residential homes, deepening concerns over the growing human toll of the border conflict.

Bakhtar News claimed that several civilian houses were damaged in the artillery fire, while local officials said two of the wounded children were transferred to a hospital in neighboring Nangarhar for urgent treatment. The latest incident adds to a rising number of civilian casualties in eastern Afghanistan as cross-border exchanges continue.

The attack came only days after Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said earlier Pakistani rocket fire in Kunar had killed one person and injured 16 others, most of them women and children. That earlier shelling, along with the latest strike, suggests that the security situation along the frontier remains highly unstable despite diplomatic contacts.

The latest violence comes amid one of the sharpest escalations in relations between Pakistan and the Taliban administration since 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of allowing militants, especially Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghanistan soil, while Taliban officials reject the accusation and say Pakistan is targeting civilians inside Afghanistan.

The fighting has also triggered a widening humanitarian crisis across several Afghanistan border provinces. According to UN-linked and aid reporting, tens of thousands of families have been displaced by artillery fire, airstrikes, and armed clashes in Kunar, Nangarhar, Khost, Paktika, and other affected areas, with many communities facing repeated displacement and disrupted access to aid.

The Kunar-Nangarhar border belt has long remained one of the most sensitive flashpoints between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but recent weeks have seen a more dangerous turn, with both sides increasingly relying on heavy weapons, cross-border shelling, and military accusations rather than local de-escalation channels.

At the same time, Pakistan and Taliban officials have opened fresh talks in Urumqi, China, in what diplomats describe as a new effort to secure a ceasefire and prevent further deterioration. China is trying to bring both sides back to dialogue, but the continuation of shelling during the talks shows how fragile and uncertain the peace process remains.

The deaths of two children in Kunar underline how civilians continue to pay the highest price in the worsening border conflict. Even as officials discuss peace in China, developments on the ground suggest that trust between the two sides remains dangerously low.

Unless the latest diplomacy produces a credible ceasefire and enforcement mechanism, more cross-border attacks are likely to follow. For residents of eastern Afghanistan, especially children and displaced families, each new round of shelling brings not only fear and loss, but also growing uncertainty about safety and survival.

Pakistan Shelling in Kunar Kills 2 Children Amid Fresh Border Tensions
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AP Exclusive: Pakistan and Afghan Taliban officials meet in China for ceasefire talks

April 1, 2026
By MUNIR AHMED, ELENA BECATOROS and ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN
Associated Press
April 1, 2026
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan and Afghanistan held the first round of peace talks on Wednesday, with China mediating to broker a durable ceasefire after weeks of fighting, two Pakistani officials said.

But even as the talks were held, Afghanistan accused Pakistan of firing mortars into its territory.

Representatives from the two countries were meeting in Urumqi, in northern China, the officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The first round of talks concluded on Wednesday afternoon and were expected to continue on Thursday, they said.

China has not commented. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs neither confirmed nor denied the talks were taking place.

An Afghan official said the five-member Afghan delegation in Urumqi consisted of two officials from the foreign ministry and one each from the defense and interior ministries and from the country’s intelligence agency. The official provided the information on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details to the press.

The talks in Urumqi are seen as a potential relief for millions of people in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan, the sources in Pakistan said, adding they may last for days and were only the beginning of a peace process between the two sides.

Farid Dehqan, a police spokesman for the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, said Pakistan had fired mortars into Afghan territory late Wednesday, killing two civilians and wounding six others, including four children. He said the shelling was ongoing two hours after it started.

The Pakistani army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

‘Verification mechanism’

According to the sources, the latest round of talks began after both sides accepted China’s offer to mediate to end the fighting. The two sides will continue their talks on Thursday.

China has urged both sides to resume dialogue since late February, and its special envoy, Yue Xiaoyong, met his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Sadiq, last month after visiting Kabul.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of providing a safe haven for militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan, especially for the Pakistani Taliban. The group is separate but allied with the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.

Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, Asif Durrani, expressed hope that the talks, if officially confirmed, would lead to substantive progress.

“If both sides reach an agreement as a result of reported talks, the critical issue will be a verification mechanism to ensure Afghan territory is not used for attacks against Pakistan,” he said.

The fighting since February has been the most severe between Afghanistan and Pakistan in decades. Shortly after clashes began, Pakistan declared it was in “open war” with Afghanistan, with repeated cross-border clashes as well as airstrikes inside Afghanistan, including several in the Afghan capital Kabul.

Afghanistan said a Pakistani airstrike last month hit a drug-treatment center in Kabul, killing more than 400 people. The death toll could not be independently confirmed. Pakistan has disputed the claim and denied targeting civilians, saying it struck an ammunition depot.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told the AP at the time that Pakistan had “only targeted terrorist infrastructure” in Kabul, not any hospital, saying: “We have just gone after the Afghan Taliban regime, their military setups, their terrorist infrastructure, and all the setups which are supporting or promoting terrorists.”

Qatari-mediated ceasefire

Although the two sides agreed to a temporary truce during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, fighting later resumed at a lower intensity compared with the heavy clashes seen in February and March, when Pakistan’s air force repeatedly targeted what it said were Pakistani Taliban positions and Afghan military sites. Afghanistan has said the airstrikes hit civilian areas.

The two sides have a long history of tense relations, but the recent violence has alarmed the international community, particularly because militant groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, remain present in the region and have sought to regroup.

The latest fighting also undermined a Qatari-mediated ceasefire reached in October, which had halted earlier clashes that killed dozens of civilians, security personnel and militants. The two sides dispute casualty figures. Another recent round of talks in Saudi Arabia remained inconclusive.

Previous peace talks held in Istanbul in November failed to produce a lasting agreement.

It remains unclear who is representing Pakistan and Afghanistan in the latest round of talks in China, according to the officials.___

Becatoros and Afghan reported from Kabul, Afghanistan.

AP Exclusive: Pakistan and Afghan Taliban officials meet in China for ceasefire talks
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Torkham Border Reopens for Return of Afghan Migrants

March 31, 2026
Khaama Press

The Torkham border crossing has reopened for the return of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, easing movement at one of the busiest and most politically sensitive crossings between the two countries.

Local authorities in Nangarhar said the crossing reopened on Tuesday, allowing Afghan migrants to return from Pakistan. Officials said the Omari camp at Torkham is prepared to receive returnees and manage the flow of families crossing back into Afghanistan.

The reopening follows a brief closure after the route had been temporarily opened only to be shut again following a shooting incident in which a Pakistani border soldier was wounded. Afghan officials have not said how long the crossing will remain open this time, leaving uncertainty for many families waiting to cross.

The crossing is currently being used mainly for migrant returns rather than normal trade or passenger movement. Pakistan has in recent weeks resumed deportations of undocumented Afghans under a controlled repatriation mechanism, with border authorities and immigration agencies overseeing the process.

The reopening comes at a time of heightened strain between the two neighbors, with border tensions and security incidents repeatedly disrupting civilian movement. For thousands of Afghans facing detention, deportation or uncertainty in Pakistan, even a temporary opening of Torkham carries major humanitarian importance.

Torkham is one of the most important land crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan and serves as a key route for people, trade and emergency movement. Closures there often affect not only migrants and daily wage workers, but also supply chains, medical travel and broader economic activity on both sides of the border.

The latest reopening also comes amid Pakistan’s broader campaign to remove undocumented Afghans, a policy that has drawn concern from aid agencies and rights groups. The United Nations has warned that forced or rushed returns could place already vulnerable Afghan families under additional pressure at a time of economic hardship and instability inside Afghanistan.

Torkham Border Reopens for Return of Afghan Migrants
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