The southern districts of Nangarhar Province have been a bloody battleground between groups affiliated with the Islamic State of Khorasan, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (also known as ‘the Taliban’), Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, and the international military. The Islamic State Khorasan appeared to have been contained earlier this year, but became militarily resurgent over the past four weeks, and also closed educational facilities.

Ghareeb Gul, a civilian from Wazir Tangi area told NRC emergency response staff in Khogyani District, Nangarhar Province: “they have captured many villages around the Tangi area, and tortured people for helping the Taliban. No one was helping the Taliban. Now the Islamic State have full control of the Wazir Tangi area.”

Amir Jan, a civilian said that “the Taliban used to control our area, but the Islamic State suddenly attacked them three days ago. We were all afraid that they would kill us, so we left everything. We came to Chamtala area, where we don’t have anything – nowhere to sleep and no food.”

Thousands of families are crammed into tiny rooms, and hundreds do not have a roof over their heads as a harsh winter looms. The majority do not have more than a week’s worth of food. Many families painfully left behind loved ones to the mercy of the Islamic State, so as to guard livestock that they need to survive until they can move to safety.

“NRC rapidly provided emergency relief to over eight thousand displaced and vulnerable women, girls, boys and men in the affected districts in the past couple of weeks, and we are now assessing the needs of yet another wave as violence further flares,” said Carter. “The distress and desperation of Afghans fleeing from these areas highlights the cruelty of what they have suffered and witnessed.”