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The fall of Kunduz city to the Taliban and the week-long clashes between government security forces and the insurgents in the counter-offensive had a devastating impact on civilians who have been left without basic services, food and potable water.
Interviewed by Xinhua over the phone Sunday, Mohmmad Harif, a resident of Kunduz city, said that Kunduz used to be the breadbasket of Afghanistan. "Now there is a shortage of food and city residents are hungry. The price of one piece of bread has risen from 10 Afghanis a week ago to 50 afghanis today. City residents are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance," he said.
On Monday last week, in a surprise attack, Taliban militants captured Kunduz city, some 250 km north of the capital Kabul. Three days after, on Thursday, government forces, backed by the U. S. military, launched a counter-offensive. Kunduz city police said that some 400 Taliban insurgents have been killed in the counter- offensive.
Local health officials have repeatedly called for a ceasefire so that medical care can be given to people who have been injured as a result of the fighting.
Police said that some 60 civilians, including local journalist Zabihullah Pashtunyar, have been killed and nearly 400 others wounded since the fighting broke out in the city with a population of about 180,000.
"There is a shortage of blood and medicines at the Kunduz Regional Hospital. The hospital building is crowded with injured persons, some of them lying in walkways for lack of hospital beds, "Harif said.
He added that there is a need for an urgent ceasefire between the security forces and the Taliban to allow residents to bury their dead and to attend to those injured.
Amidst urgent need of residents for medical and humanitarian assistance, a tragic incident happened. The U.S. military, which carried out air strikes in support of the Afghan forces, inadvertently hit on Saturday a hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), killing 19, including 12 medical staff and injuring 37 others.
In the aftermath of the deadly bombing, the MSF has suspended its operation in the city and has evacuated its remaining staff.
Tales of courage and sorrow abound in the city during the siege.
"Shortly after the fighting began, electricity was shut down. My husband told us to go to the basement. We stayed in the basement for four days before we left the city and traveled to Kabul early Friday," Najiba, a mother of five, told Xinhua.
She said that her children cried during heavy bombing in the city which was engulfed in total darkness, adding that because of lack of food, they were forced to eat sweets and junk food left over from Eid festival which ended one day before fighting.
Najiba lamented that the Taliban and government security forces have showed utter disregard for the value of human lives because they have targeted civilian infrastructures including hospitals, schools, power stations and water installations.
"Even some residents who fled from their homes have been targeted. We were fortunate to have a basement where we hid during the fighting," Najiba said.
Najiba was particularly angry with the Taliban. She said that the Taliban indiscriminately searched houses shortly after they took control of the city. "They sized hospital vehicles and ambulances, threatened people and killed those whom they considered were sympathetic to the government."
She said her husband told her to bring their young children to Kabul. She was able to rent a car for 250 U.S. dollars and reached Kabul after a day's drive through rough roads. Normally, it would only take five hours drive from Kunduz to Kabul.
Najiba said her husband is left in Kunduz, adding that she hoped her husband is safe although she has lost contact with him.
The Taliban have been on the rampage since mid April when they launched their so-called annual spring offensive in different places in Afghanistan, including in capital Kabul, killing and injuring hundreds.
An estimated 1,600 civilians were killed and more than 3,300 others wounded during the clashes between Taliban insurgents and government security forces in the first half of the year alone.
