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Afghan Special Forces have been clashing with Taliban fighters just a few kilometres from the centre of Lashkar Gah – the capital of Helmand province. Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the violence over the past few days. It’s the most significant assault by the insurgents since peace talks began a month ago in Qatar. Mariana Cortesi is the hospital coordinator in Helmand for the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).

(Photo: Afghans flee their villages after fighting intensified between Taliban militants and security forces, in Lashkargah, the provincial capital of restive Helmand province, Afghanistan, 12 October 2020. Credit: EPA)