November 23, 2001	Friday	Ramazan 7, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: The United Nations on Thursday expressed concern over deteriorating security conditions in Afghanistan with rampant lootings and thefts at the offices of the relief agencies.

Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad, officials of UNOCHA, WFP and UNHCR reported incidents of lootings at the UN agencies’ offices under the Northern Alliance regime.

Spokesperson for the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Stephanie Bunker said at present a maximum of five UN personnel were being allowed to visit Mazar-i-Sharif for day trips until full security was assured and arrangements for their accommodation were made.

She said the UN mine action programme for Afghanistan, which had suffered many losses, continued to face theft and looting. “According to a report, a group of armed people broke into the office of the UN centre in Gardez and demanded that the officer in charge hand over the keys to the centre’s vehicles.”

On resistance, she said, armed people started beating the staff, damaged doors and drove away with two pickups. Apart from damaging two ambulances, they also took away walkie talkie sets and antennas and food from logistic store, she said, adding that the identity of the miscreants could not be ascertained.

World Food Programme spokesperson, Lindsey Davies said the UN body was concerned about pockets of insecurity where aid workers from the NGOs had not been able to go for the last few weeks.

She said Badghis province, during the past few weeks, had suffered largescale damages by armed bandits and local infighting. “Badghis is one of the most food insecure areas in the country, inaccessible to the NGOs because of changing battle lines and general insecurity.”

About 300,000 people in Badghis were dependent on the WFP food aid and they needed about 14,000 tons for the coming six months, she said.

About lootings and thefts, she said, a week ago a group of gunmen looted 10 bags of wheat flour, five bags of lentils, 17 cartons of oil, 17 bags of sugar and 400 litres of diesel from the WFP warehouse in Jalalabad.

She said WFP was concerned about the safety of food which arrived in Jalalabad on Wednesday and was trying to secure guarantees from the authorities in the city.

“Until security of the warehouse was assured no more food would be sent to Jalalabad,” she said.

In Kandahar, the WFP spokesperson said breakdown in law and order was also hampering assistance operations. She said the WFP received reports that out of 10 trucks stationed there, five were taken away. The other five seemed to have been damaged in the bombardment on Friday, she added.