Thousands Flee Afghan Capital
Tens of thousands of people, some carrying children and hauling belongings in rickety carts, fled the capital Saturday as warring Islamic factions observed a daylong cease-fire.
“It is like hell here,” said Rahila, who like most Afghans uses only one name. “I can’t live here anymore. The leaders are responsible for the tragedy.”
Departing U.N. officials said the number of fleeing residents slogging through slush and snow might total in the hundreds of thousands.
Many of the newest refugees on the road from Kabul to Jalalabad, 70 miles to the east, were wearing sandals and little warm clothing, said a U.N. spokesman in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
