Over 445,000 Afghans displaced by conflict in 2017

Kabul Jan 3 (IANS) More than 445 000 Afghans were displaced in 2017 by conflicts and the dragging insurgency the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday.

"From January 1 to December 31 2017 a total of 445 335 people were displaced due to the conflict in Afghanistan " it said in a statement.

The number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the eastern Afghan region reached 140 205 with 123 538 of them in Nangarhar province Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

More than 1 million Afghans have been displaced due to conflicts since 2001 as worsening security situation and the ongoing insurgency have forced the people to leave their houses for safer places.

Over 2 640 civilians were killed and over 5 370 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first nine months of 2017 according to UN figures.

--IANS
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