The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said that the situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover last week “remains uncertain and may evolve rapidly,” with up to 515,000 new refugees fleeing.

The agency said that would add to the 2.2 million Afghans who are already registered as refugees abroad — nearly all of them in Pakistan and Iran. “The upsurge of violence across the country and the fall of the elected government may have a serious impact on civilians and cause further displacement,” it said.

The agency cited estimates that 558,000 people have been internally displaced within Afghanistan due to armed conflict this year alone – four in five of them women and children. “UNHCR estimates that the number of displaced will rise, both internally and across border,” it said.

A Taliban fighter stands guard at the site of the August 26, 2021 twin suicide bombs at Kabul airport on August 27, 2021. 

Najeeba Wazedafost, CEO of the Asia Pacific Refugee Network, in an online UNHCR news conference on Friday, warned of “coming darkness” in Afghanistan amid a “tragically intertwined series of crises.” The UN agency is seeking nearly $300 million for its response plan for inter-agency requirements.