The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has estimated that more than 550,000 people in Afghanistan have fled their homes due to the conflict since the start of 2021.

A situational update published on Sunday by Geneva-based UNHCR shows about 126,000 people were displaced in the previous month to August 9, the most recent date for which figures are available, the Associated Press reported.

UNHCR said that while the situation inside Afghanistan is fluid, “for now the displacement is largely internal.”

“There is a need to support the humanitarian response in the country. If we do see cross-border movement then additional support outside the country will be necessary too,” UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

The agency continues to have international and Afghan staff on the ground, she said.

The militant group Taliban on Sunday have taken over control of Afghanistan with the resignation of President Ashraf Ghani. This comes after the group entered the outskirts of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul but assured a peaceful transfer of power. Earlier this week prominent cities such as Khost, Kandahar, and Herat were overtaken by the Taliban, after which 24 of the 34 provinces of the country were under the control of the militant group.   

Now, the Islamic country has been fully taken over by the Taliban group, which has formed an interim government to run the state.