ISLAMABAD, Oct 14: The United Nations has dispatched advance teams to Quetta and Peshawar to establish a “common security telecom and logistics support system” as it moves ahead with networking for humanitarian assistance in countries bordering Afghanistan.

Senior UN officials in Islamabad told Dawn on Sunday that negotiations were in advance stage to establish similar telecom and logistics systems in Turkmenabad (Turkmenistan), Termez (Uzbekistan), Mashad and possibly Zahedan (Iran), and Dushanbe or Ishkashim (Tajikistan).

The joint UN offices will provide the essential network to enable a co-ordinated cross border logistics supply operation as well as to facilitate effective flow of information to and from the respective country offices, said an official of United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA).

Sources said the UN teams would replace and upgrade the common security telecommunications services within Afghanistan for all UN agencies. The new common security telecommunication will use local VHF communications and longer range HF manned by 24 hour radio rooms with the technical support of the WFP FITTEST (Field IT and Telecommunications Emergency Support Teams) staff.

A base layer of integrated IT e-mail server system will be installed to provide field data communications as the common systems are geared to be established to link and support offices in the neighbouring countries, sources said.

According to the officials, Islamabad is currently functioning as the focal point for access and use of common services that support security, logistics, communications and information flow for assistance provision in Afghanistan. “These services have to date been provided by the UN Co-ordinator’s Office in Islamabad which maintains a 24 hour radio communications network throughout Afghanistan and in the region in addition to running the UN flight operations which provide a comprehensive passenger and cargo transport service.”

Inside Afghanistan, these services have been supported by UN Regional Co-ordination Offices.