GENEVA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- There is currently no safe way for civilians and humanitarian workers to enter Afghanistan's Ghazni city after intense fighting in this capital of eastern Ghazni province, a UN official said here Friday.
Jens Laerke, deputy spokesperson of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told a press briefing that relevant UN agencies are in the process of dispatching chlorine to flush the water system, and trying to make food available for dispatch from Kabul.
"Safe access on Highway 1 will be required to transport the allocated commodities to Ghazni," he said.
According to the UN official, many shops and markets in the city have reportedly been burned or looted and prices for basic commodities are inflated.
He said that Afghan military forces have now reportedly cleared the center of Ghazni City, with house-to-house clearing operations ongoing. The fighting has reportedly moved to the outskirts of the city, with Taliban fighters slowly withdrawing towards surrounding villages.
Civilian casualties from the past week of fighting are estimated to range from 200 to 250, according to the latest, unverified numbers, he said.
In a surprise move, Taliban militants launched multi-pronged attacks on strategically important Ghazni last Friday from different directions, targeting important entities including a police department, the national directorate of security, and the provincial governor's office.
The attack came amid the Afghan government's efforts to bring the Taliban to negotiations.
