12 Oct 2025 - 18:52
The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The head of the U.N. refugee agency warned Sunday that renewed clashes along the Afghan-Pakistani border risk worsening decades of instability and human suffering in the region.
Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, urged restraint and called for a rapid de-escalation of tensions in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“Nothing good can come from fresh tensions and clashes along the Afghan/Pakistani border — a fragile frontier, theatre of conflict, forced displacement and humanitarian crises for decades,” Grandi wrote. “For the sake of those impacted and of regional stability let’s hope for rapid de-escalation.”
The border area, marked by difficult terrain and a history of cross-border militant activity, has long been a flashpoint between the two countries. Periodic clashes have displaced thousands of civilians and complicated humanitarian operations on both sides.
Grandi’s remarks come amid reports of renewed fighting near key border crossings, which serve as vital trade and transit routes and are home to communities still recovering from years of conflict and displacement.
The U.N. refugee agency has repeatedly called for protection of civilians and unimpeded humanitarian access in the border region, where many Afghans have sought refuge following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
