the united nations is warning of a new
wave of violence in
afghanistan tens of thousands of
civilians have been driven from their
homes by a major offensive by the
taliban in the southern province of
helmand
that's where british troops were mainly
based while fighting in afghanistan over
450 british service personnel were
killed during a 14-year period
now the fresh fighting is threatening
fragile peace talks between the afghan
government and the taliban
our chief international correspondent
lise ducette reports from kabul
[Applause]
helicopter fire over helmond again
the afghan military pounding taliban
targets
a week of all-out war after the taliban
took more territory
another week of suffering for civilians
afghans
escaping the violence lives up ended
again
and it's not just helmund
in eastern afghanistan a classroom
of empty spaces of aching loss
two other boys zahir and adnan used to
sit here
a few days ago a truck bomb killed them
that day is still in my mind it goes
round and round my thoughts
when the explosion happened there was a
massive cloud of smoke
even people far from here heard the
explosion
it was very big and loud
this was the target a security base
60 civilians killed or injured
the bomber struck at midday as students
headed home
in a province with both taliban and
islamic state fighters
no one says they did it we thought when
the peace talks started the war would
end but
look i mean even the talks are happening
and the war continues right here
the violence in afghanistan now is an
everyday
kind of islands afghans being killed as
they leave their schools as they go to
work
when they're sitting at home
every afghan has a story of loss
on every side of this war which has
dragged on for decades
this public hearing in kabul is one of
the only spaces
where they can share their stories and
say their voices
must be heard including at the peace
talks
we're not hopeful about the future in
that in this case
because if they in this war maybe
another war is stored after
the peace that they bring because the
wounds are still open
and the wounds are not healed
someday little amina will tell her story
of her wounds she was shot in the legs
in may
just two hours old her mother and others
killed
in a clinic after giving birth an attack
blamed on the islamic state group
bloodied blankets a shocking symbol of
this merciless war
but amina survived dr bina
saved her legs and her life
she's perfect you know i'm really happy
definitely she is the symbol of
resilience
for all of us for afghanistan for kabul
for everyone
including her father
if i tell you about the pain i have
suffered no one in the world should
suffer like this
my wife was murdered two hours after she
gave birth
but despite this if there is peace my
child
and my country will have a future
the hostilities in helmand have driven
home how hard it will be to make peace
if the guns keep firing even peace talks
may not survive lis toussette bbc news
kabul