PESHAWAR, Feb 19: The United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSF) has asked its staff in the NWFP and Federally Administered Tribal Areas to exercise caution in the wake of protests against publication of sacrilegious caricatures in some European newspapers.

“Yes, we have received directives from the UNDSF about tightening our security arrangements in and around our offices,” said an official associated with a UN agency.

According to him, Peshawar region has been given a level 2 security status, which means that the movement of its permanent staff would remain restricted to the city.

The official also said that UN vehicles would not be used and staff would travel on roads and its staff could travel either in hired vehicles or in passenger buses.

“In the wake of looming security threats, we have received instructions from the UNDSF to leave our offices by 11am today (Friday),” said an official.

According to him, some 150 Peshawar-based employees, including the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR), Unicef, International Labour Organisation (ILO), etc, had been issued instructions last Wednesday to stay home instead of coming to work.

A UN official said that they had been directed by the UNDSF against movement after 5pm and not to use branch roads while travelling. The UN staff members can only travel on main roads before sunset, an official said.

Currently, he said, Peshawar region has level 2 status, but given the deteriorating law and order situation the city can soon be given level 3 status, in which the UN agencies would be bound to suspend their operations.

He said that due to the war on terrorism and militancy in the North and South Waziristan of the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas, Fata has been put in level 3, prompting the UN agencies to suspend its activities.

He said that level 3 is followed by level 4, which warrants the relocation of staff and activities to other areas. The fifth and final phase leads to the complete closure of all activities.

“In case of any security problems, the area field security coordinators issue a warning and a security notice through formal circulars to the UN staff well before the occurrence of planned demonstrations and protests,” said an official.