AFGHANISTAN-UNREST-SECURITY

Afghan security personnel prepare for combat during an ongoing battle with Taliban militants in the Nad Ali district of Helmand on August 10, 2016. Fierce fighting in Helmand has sent thousands of Afghans fleeing to the capital of the southern opium-rich province, sparking a humanitarian crisis as Taliban insurgents besiege the city despite intensified US air strikes. The Taliban advance on Lashkar Gah has compounded fears that the city was on the brink of falling into insurgent hands, even as US and Afghan officials insist that they will not allow another urban centre to be captured. / AFP / NOOR MOHAMMAD (Photo credit should read NOOR MOHAMMAD/AFP via Getty Images)