Lagebeobachtung Kundus: Anhaltende Kämpfe, flüchtende Zivilisten (Neufassung)

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Die Kämpfe zwischen afghanischen Sicherheitskräften und Taliban um die nordafghanische Provinzstadt Kundus halten offensichtlich auch am vierten Tag an – auch wenn die offizielle Sicht der Dinge wesentlich optimistischer klingt. Doch selbst die Vereinten Nationen und Hilfsorganisationen schlagen angesichts der Lage der Bevölkerung in Kundus Alarm.

Beispielhaft dafür die Mitteilung von amnesty interntional:

The Afghan government and Taliban forces should urgently facilitate swift and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief into Kunduz, where thousands of civilians are trapped in increasingly dire conditions, Amnesty International said today.

The organization has interviewed medical workers and civilians stuck in Kunduz amid fighting after the Taliban launched an assault on 3 October. Kunduz residents have described grim scenes as food and water supplies have been exhausted and electricity was cut. The city’s civilian hospital has run out of medical supplies and sustained rocket and gunfire attacks on 5 October.

Einige Medienberichte dazu:

Von Reuters:

Fighting in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz has led to a „rapidly deteriorating“ humanitarian situation, officials said on Thursday, leaving thousands of people with limited access to food, water, or medical care.
Street-to-street gun battles have continued for four days after Taliban militants slipped past the city’s defenses on Monday.
Government troops, backed by U.S. special forces and air strikes, have repeatedly declared that they are in control of the city, but residents report that heavy fighting has forced many people to flee.

… dem Wall Street Journal

The United Nations warned Thursday of a humanitarian crisis in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, where it said fighting between the Taliban and U.S.-backed Afghan forces had forced some 10,000 residents to flee their homes.
“Many families were unable to bring their possessions with them and are in a precarious position. We have had reports that some families have been forced to sleep out in the open and many have few food supplies,” said Dominic Parker, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

… Radio Free Europe:

Afghan officials say government security forces have pushed Taliban militants back from the south side of the city of Kunduz in a battle that is now in its fourth day.
General Qasim Jungalbagh, the police chief for Kunduz Province, made the remarks about battle in the northern Afghan city on October 6.
The south side of Kunduz city is the location of a strategic airfield that is vital for the reinforcement and logistical support of government forces in Kunduz.
But Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi, the head of the Kunduz provincial council, said gun battles in the east and west of the city had continued through the early morning hours of October 6.

… Al Jazeera:

Fighting in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz has forced many hospital staff to flee, officials said on Thursday, further jeopardising medical care for hundreds of people.
Street-to-street gun battles have continued for four days after Taliban fighters slipped past the city’s defences on Monday.
The fighting has forced as many as 10,000 people from their homes in Kunduz, the United Nations reported, with those who remain facing serious water, food and electricity shortages, as well as threats from the fighting.
Government troops, backed by US special forces and air raids, have repeatedly declared that they are in control of the city, but residents report that heavy fighting has forced many people to leave.

Das unterscheidet sich also deutlich von den – sparsamen – offiziellen Einschätzungen, zum Beispiel der am Mittwoch geäußerten Ansicht von Verteidigungsministerium und Auswärtigem Amt:

Das machen die Taliban nicht, weil sie wirklich glauben, Kundus erobern zu können – dazu war diese Aktion weder geeignet noch angelegt -, sondern um öffentliche und Weltaufmerksamkeit zu erzielen. Das gelingt den Taliban ja auch.

Das mag ja gesamtpolitisch und militärisch zutreffen, der betroffenen Bevölkerung dürfte es allerdings egal sein, ob die Taliban wirklich Kundus erobern oder nur Aufmerksamkeit erregen wollen.

Auch der bislang letzte Tweet von Resolute Support, der NATO-Mission, ist da arg sparsam:

(Korrektur/Neufassung: In der ersten Fassung war irrtümlich der entsprechende UN-Bericht von vor genau einem Jahr verlinkt –  der könnte allerdings auch auf die heutige Situation passen. Ich bitte um Entschuldigung.)