UN condemns Pakistan’s deadly attack on drug rehab centre in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): Top United Nations officials on Tuesday condemned Pakistan’s overnight strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul that martyred at least 400 people and injured more than 250 others.

“An overnight strike on the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Facility in Kabul, managed by the Ministry of Interior (MoI), martyred more than 400 people and injured at least 250 others who were being treated for substance use disorders,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Since hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated at the end of last month, several hundred Afghan civilians, including 104 children and 59 women, have been killed or injured.

The Pakistani government has denied its forces hit the facility, insisting it targeted only military sites.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly in the south and southeast of the country, have been displaced by the fighting.

In Pakistan, many people have also been forced to flee their homes and schools have been closed.

WHO said it was working to verify the incident, but the intensifying conflict was placing additional strain on health systems and increasing risks to the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations.

Tedros said the upsurge in hostilities between Kabul and Islamabad had resulted in “at least six health facilities reportedly being impacted in Afghanistan since late February.”

“I urge all parties to de-escalate and prioritise peace and health. Peace is the best medicine,” he said.

Scene of ‘total destruction’

Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said witnesses had described a “scene of total destruction” at the site, with hundreds searching for relatives.

“Under international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian objects are strictly protected,” he said, stressing that any attack must comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.

“International humanitarian law provides specific and increased protections for medical facilities,” he added.

Call for reparations

The OHCHR spokesman said the incident must be investigated promptly, independently and transparently, with those responsible held accountable in line with international standards.

“The results must be made public,” he said. “Victims and their families are entitled to reparations.”

Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, reiterated his call on all parties to take effective measures to protect civilians in line with international law.

He stressed the need for an immediate end to hostilities and for the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid to those in need.