Natives of Lashkargah city who have left their homes recently because of the war now face hunger,  illness and bad weather conditions, many said on Thursday.

“We are devastated, we are facing the cold, we are all ill,” said Abdul Latif, a resident of Helmand.

“You see around us--there are 300 to 400 women here, we do not have anything here,” said Abdul Qayoum, a displaced Lashkargah resident.

“We call on the warring sides to make peace and let us go to our homes,” said Olagai, an elderly woman.

“The Taliban have taken up positions in our homes, we can't go there now,” said Helmand resident Nafisa.

Meanwhile, the State Ministry on Disaster Management has said that it has allocated 20 million Afs to address the needs of those affected by the fighting in Helmand.

“This (the funds) should be distributed among those affected from the war,” said Ghulam Bahauddin Jailani, State Minister on Natural Disaster Management.

“There are around 5000 to 7,000 refugees registered with us,” said Yasin Khan, the governor of Helmand.

The residents of Helmand called on the warring factions to stop the war so that they could return to their homes.

The Helmand clashes have drawn national and international reactions from Afghan officials and foreign diplomats who have condemned the Taliban attack and called on the group to reduce violence.