UN Chief calls for probe in Pakistan airstrike on Afghan hospital
United Nations, March 18
UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres "strongly condemns" the deadly Pakistani air strike on a hospital in Kabul and has called for an independent investigation into the incident, his Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Wednesday.
Afghanistan's Taliban government has said that more than 400 people were killed in the Pakistani attack on a drug rehabilitation hospital overnight Monday-Tuesday, marking a sharp escalation in Islamabad's onslaught on its neighbour.
Haq said the Secretary‑General recalled that under international law, patients, medical personnel, and medical facilities, including hospitals, must be respected and protected at all times.
He added that Guterres had called for an "independent and impartial investigation into the incident".
International humanitarian law grants special protection to medical facilities and personnel and considers attacks on them to be war crimes.
Haq said that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), ten health facilities were damaged by air strikes.
He said Guterres reiterated his call for de‑escalation and the immediate cessation of hostilities, urging all parties to comply with their obligations under international law, including the protection of civilians.
Haq added that the Secretary‑General welcomed the temporary cessation of hostilities agreed to by Pakistan and Afghanistan for Eid and hoped it would be extended.
The spokesperson listed the wide‑ranging devastation in Afghanistan resulting from Pakistan's attacks, based on assessments by UN agencies.
Between March 6 and Tuesday, air strikes and cross‑border attacks have impacted at least ten provinces, including Kabul, Haq said.
UN partners report that 115,000 people have been forced to flee, and more than 300 shelters have been destroyed or damaged. About 160,000 people are facing hunger, he added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As a doctor, this hits hard. Medical facilities are sanctuaries. Attacking one is a profound moral failure. The WHO report of 10 damaged facilities is chilling. The international community's response needs to be stronger than just words.
While the condemnation is justified, let's be real. Will this probe actually lead to anything? Pakistan's establishment has a history of operating with impunity. The suffering of ordinary Afghans continues while powers play politics. 160,000 facing hunger... tragic.
The scale of displacement is mind-numbing. 115,000 people forced to flee. This isn't just a border skirmish; it's creating a humanitarian catastrophe. India should lead regional efforts to provide aid, regardless of the Taliban government.
Respectfully, the article focuses solely on Pakistan's actions. The context of cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghan soil, which Pakistan cites, is missing. A probe should be impartial and look at the full picture, not just one strike. Peace is needed on both sides.
War crimes is the correct term. No justification for bombing a hospital. The Eid ceasefire is a small relief, but it must become permanent. The common people in both Pakistan and Afghanistan want peace, not this endless cycle of violence. 😔
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