Guterres Calls for Immediate Cessation of Hostilities Between Afghanistan and Pakistan

On February 27, Xinhua News Agency reported from the United Nations (Reporter Pan Yunzhao) that UN Secretary-General António Guterres' spokesperson Dujarric stated on the 27th that Guterres is deeply concerned about the escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan and its impact on civilians. He calls on both sides to immediately cease hostilities and resolve their differences through diplomatic means.

Regarding the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Dujarric stated that years of conflict, poverty, and natural disasters have left nearly half of the country's population in need of humanitarian assistance. If the conflict continues or escalates, this number will only continue to rise. The United Nations calls on all parties to the conflict to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly to ensure that civilians and civilian infrastructure are always protected, while also urging the international community to provide more funding for the UN's humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan.

In the past week, fighting has reignited between Afghanistan and Pakistan, escalating from sporadic skirmishes in border areas to the Pakistani military conducting airstrikes on military targets in the Afghan capital, Kabul. On the 27th, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif announced that Pakistan has launched an "open war" against Afghanistan.