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| November 8, 2001 | Thursday | Shaba’an 21, 1422 |
5m Afghans on brink of starvation, warns UN
LONDON, Nov 7: Britain and France will table an emergency resolution at the UN Security Council on the future of Afghanistan after the conflict is over, to help millions of starving Afghans.
UN sources told Dawn that President Chirac, during his visit to the UN headquarters, also called for a conference of major donors to the United Nations in the next few days. The sources also quoted Mr Chirac saying: “ Most UN operations for Afghanistan are being directed from Islamabad to help needy Afghans.”
The UN says more than five million Afghans are on the brink of starvation, which demands immediate action to prevent a “ humanitarian catastrophe.” UN officials say that they do not have any choice but to direct their relief operations for Afghans from Pakistan as it is impossible for them to operate in Afghanistan due to security reasons.
All international staff of the UN withdrew from Afghanistan following the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in America, leaving only 180 local staff to to perform relief work throughout the country.
The sources said that, after weeks of negotiations with UN aid agencies, it was decided that a relief camp is to be set up on the Afghan side of the Pakistan border, as a pilot experiment to keep refugees safe inside their own country.
This so-called model camp inside Afghanistan is to be funded with money Pakistan will be receiving from donor nations and, according to the government, the scheme has the backing of the Taliban. The UN High Commission for Refugees is also to continue its efforts to set up camps in the tribal areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan for those who have crossed the border and are considered refugees. A total of 38 sites have been chosen - 28 in the NWFP and 10 in Balochistan - and work has started on about 15 camps. Conditions in places, such as Jalozai camp, have become untenable due to overcrowding and because of pressure on local resources. The UN sources say Afghans continue to mass in border areas and, although the World Food Programme is making significant deliveries, relief agencies continue to warn of winter starvation among refugees.
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