UN Calls for Halt to Clashes After Kabul Rehab Center Hit

The United Nations has expressed concern over the targeting of the Omid addiction treatment center in Kabul and called for an immediate halt to fighting between the Taliban and Pakistan. Farhan Haq, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said on Wednesday, March 18, that Pakistan struck the facility and that dozens of people were killed.

He stressed that medical facilities and civilian infrastructure must not be targeted in military attacks. He said the protection of civilians and health centers must be respected at all times.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, said it had documented 75 civilian deaths and more than 200 injuries since the start of the clashes through March 16. The United Nations also said civilians are paying the highest price in the fighting.

The Taliban claim that about 400 people were killed in Pakistan’s attack on the addiction treatment center in Kabul two nights ago. That figure has not been independently verified, but it has added to concerns over the scale of the casualties and the humanitarian impact.

The UN human rights section had earlier called for an independent and transparent investigation into the strike on the addiction treatment center in Kabul. It said it is essential to establish the facts and ensure accountability.

The incident comes amid rising tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan in recent days, with multiple reports of civilian casualties. International bodies have repeatedly warned that continued fighting could deepen Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations is now urging all sides to stop the fighting immediately and comply with international humanitarian law. It says civilian lives must not be sacrificed in military and political confrontation.

Any further attacks on health facilities and civilian areas could have severe consequences for Afghanistan’s already fragile humanitarian situation. At a time of overlapping crises, preventing further escalation is becoming ever more urgent.

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