Border Conflict Shuts Schools for Afghan Children as Displacement Surges in Kunar
Barikot — Fighting along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has forced the closure of schools in northeastern Kunar province, displacing tens of thousands and leaving children without access to education, residents and humanitarian agencies said.
In the border village of Barikot, a school complex serving primary to high school students has been heavily damaged, with classrooms littered with debris and abandoned materials after weeks of shelling that residents attributed to Pakistani forces.
Most of the village’s roughly 8,000 residents fled following the outbreak of hostilities in late February.The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the Barikot facility is among 22 schools in urgent need of reconstruction in Kunar province.
Around 12,000 students affected by the conflict require safe learning spaces or support to resume classes, according to a report issued this month.AFP journalists who visited Barikot after access roads reopened this week described deserted streets and shuttered or destroyed shops.
Residents returning to assess the damage said essential infrastructure, including a medical center, had also been hit.Hundreds of civilians have been killed across Afghanistan amid the cross-border violence, according to the United Nations, before China facilitated talks that largely halted the fighting.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring militants responsible for attacks on its territory, an allegation Afghan authorities deny.The conflict has displaced more than 94,000 people, with over a quarter from Kunar province, OCHA data shows.
Many have taken refuge along the Kunar River, living in makeshift shelters with limited access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare.Aid groups say conditions in displacement camps are deteriorating. The Norwegian Refugee Council described the humanitarian situation as “dire,” citing urgent needs for shelter, water and sanitation services, and healthcare.
Local officials say schools in nearby areas are already overcrowded, complicating efforts to absorb displaced students. Authorities are considering relocating families to more structured camps established after a major earthquake last year.
Residents expressed concern over the long-term impact on education. Displaced families reported that children have been unable to attend classes for weeks, with some schools entirely shut due to damage or lack of capacity.
