Afghanistan Complex Emergency - DREF Operation (MDRAF020)

AI Summary

Airstrikes and border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan from late February through early March 2026 affected ten Afghan provinces, killing at least 56 civilians and injuring 129, with women and children comprising 55% of casualties. Critical infrastructure including hospitals, health facilities, and border reception centers was damaged or closed, severely disrupting humanitarian operations. The IFRC and ARCS have activated a DREF operation to respond to displacement and urgent humanitarian needs.

Country: Afghanistan Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Please refer to the attached file. Description of the Event Crisis Category Supporting Document Date of event 04-03-2026 What happened, where and when? From the evening of 26 February through the first week of March 2026, airstrikes and border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan affected ten provinces: Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Parwan, Paktia, and Paktika. The escalation followed several days of rising tensions, during which airstrikes in Nangarhar and Paktika caused civilian casualties, and cross-border exchanges of fire were reported between armed forces on both sides. Armed clashes continued between Afghanistan's security forces and the Pakistani military in Khost, Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, and Paktika. Airstrikes were also reported in Gardez (Paktia), Jalalabad (Nangarhar), Kabul, Kandahar and Mehtarlam (Laghman). On the morning of 1 March, Jalalabad's airport and a police station were struck. As of 4 March, hostilities remained concentrated along border areas but continued to threaten civilian populations across a wide geographic zone. As of 10 March, ARCS reported 97 people killed and 139 injured, along with 121 structures damaged (66 totally, 55 partially), one mosque damaged, and one clinic damaged. From 26 February to 5 March 2026, UNAMA reported and verified a total of 185 civilian casualties in Afghanistan, including 56 civilians killed and 129 injured due to indirect fire and aerial attacks. Notably, women and children accounted for 55 per cent of all civilian casualties. The difference in casualty figures reflects different reporting timelines and methodologies between the two sources. For operational planning purposes, this DREF draws on both datasets, with UNAMA figures used for casualty tracking and ARCS figures used for displacement and infrastructure damage. According to OCHA Update #1, airstrikes caused significant damage to critical civilian infrastructure, including a 20-bed emergency hospital at the IOM Transit Centre and the Omari Returnee Reception Centre at the Torkham border in Nangarhar, a health facility in Kunar Province, and residential areas across several provinces. At least 20 health facilities across the eastern, southeastern, and southern border provinces were closed or had services suspended, and eight nutrition service delivery sites were shut down in Khost, Kunar, and Nangarhar. Humanitarian partners temporarily relocated staff from high-risk areas, including Spin Boldak, Takta Pul, and Torkham, to Jalalabad and Kandahar City, significantly disrupting service delivery at border crossing points. On 4 March, a Special Movement Strategic Platform meeting was convened by the ICRC, ARCS, together with IFRC. During which the ARCS presented verified needs resulting from the escalation and formally requested Movement support. This meeting served as the trigger point for this DREF operation, as it confirmed the scale of humanitarian impact and the need for an immediate response.