Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
May 23, 2018

The UN says more than 108,000 people have been displaced in Afghanistan since the beginning of the year due to conflict and natural disasters.

A total of 108,440 people were displaced between January 1 and May 13, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on May 22.

That is 22,000 more than the previous week, according to a UN report.

The highest number of displaced people was in eastern Ghazni, where there were some 10,000, followed by northern Baghlan with more than 4,000.

More than 10,000 people were displaced temporarily due to the Taliban taking over parts of Farah city on May 15.

In Farah, the Taliban were for the first time in three years able to storm and hold parts of the city, sending shockwaves through the Afghan government and their international allies who were adamant about the Taliban not having the ability to mount such a major attack.

More than 445,000 people were displaced due to conflict in the country in 2017.

The report comes as the Taliban ramps up attacks on Afghan government facilities, administrative centers, and at least one provincial capital since the start of their annual spring offensive.

The military is battling a Taliban insurgency while also fighting the Islamic State (IS) group’s expansion in the north along with a series of attacks in the capital, Kabul.

In February, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered a comprehensive peace deal to the Taliban.

Slightly more than 14 percent of Afghanistan’s approximately 400 districts are fully controlled by the Taliban, while 30 percent are contested, according to the country’s military.

Based on reporting by dpa

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