PRESS BRIEFING BY THE U.N. OFFICES FOR PAKISTAN AND
AFGHANISTAN ( 03 January 2002)

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s UN briefing by U.N. Spokesperson Stephanie Bunker (excluding question and answer session).

** Stephanie Bunker, UN Spokesperson

The Special Representative Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi is continuing his meetings with a wide array of officials. Yesterday, we noted that he met with H.E. Mr. Aminzadeh, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran. They discussed a number of issues. Mr. Aminzadeh
underscored Iran’s commitment to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and mentioned that the Government of Iran was undertaking to pay for salaries of university professors for six months on an interim basis. The Deputy Foreign Minister also informed Mr. Brahimi about the reconstruction conference in Tehran and said that the UN was invited. Mr. Brahimi expressed his regret about being unable to attend.

Today he met with Dr. Sohaila Siddiq, Minister of Public Health. The Minister shared with the Special Representative the many problems facing the health sector in Afghanistan. She mentioned the destruction and lack of facilities and equipment as well as lack of essential medicines. She noted that Afghan medical staff have tried to cope through many long years of crisis, but that they need more training. She appreciated the aid given by the assistance community in general, but added that despite the good work of ICRC and others that more had to be done to help the disabled, including more provision of artificial limbs. She also observed that trauma was a problem faced by many Afghans, and that the Ministry was working with the United Nations on that issue.

Mr. Brahimi was impressed with the Minister’s professionalism and believes that she is doing so much with such limited means. He also noted that the public health situation is desperate and hopes that the international community will pay attention to this issue.

This afternoon, he also met with Mr. Abdurrahim Karimi, Minister of Justice and Haji Muhammad Mohaqqeq, Minister of Planning.

In Hazarajat, security in the region has remained good and posed no problems to agency operations. Snowfall is still delayed and the major passes opened. However, full snow clearing arrangements are still not in place and this means that routes into the region and between districts are vulnerable to be closed. As relief operations are still ongoing, if roads close due to snow, it will cause a shortfall in deliveries of humanitarian assistance.

Mines have prompted concerns over access for humanitarian assistance, and the safety of returning IDPs, in Bamyan Markaz District. The main road between Bamyan town and Yakaolang is mined and there have been mine incidents even on the alternative route being used by all traffic. There is an urgent need to survey the minefields around Bamyan Markaz and, as a priority, to ensure that there is a secure route for transport between Bamyan town and the west of the district. United Nations mine survey teams have been dispatched to Bamyan

There has been progress in the health sector, in Yakaolang and Bamyan. The reactivation of the provincial hospital in Bamyan and the district hospital in Yakaolang has proceeded. Shuhada Organization on behalf of the Ministry of Health operates both. Both NGOs and UN agencies are working in the health sector in the area.

It is estimated that there are now 11,500 households present in Bamyan, compared to 14,000 in the last survey prior to the 2001 conflict. Most of the IDPs have now returned to the valley. Distributions of food and non-food items are proceeding in Bamyan and Yakaolang districts, worst affected by displacement and destruction during 2001. Additional NFI kits, for 2,500 families, have been provided by UNICEF and shelter materials by IOM.

In Yakaolang, UNICEF and NGO partners have begun NFI distributions to over 5,000 families. Wheat is also being distributed throughout Yakaolang. On the basis of assessment of level of vulnerability they are conducting a 100% distribution. The combined effects of drought and displacement have left few households self-sufficient.

Temperatures in the area are now sub-zero and returnees have highlighted the need for solid fuel. This is being looked into by both the UN and NGOs.

Food deliveries to Darra Souf, Balkhab and Kohistanat have continued, under the WFP operation. Distribution in Balkhab and Kohistanat has now started. However, the logistics of supply to Balkhab continue to involve a major challenge. 40km of road have been rehabilitated to facilitate movement of trucks but so far all final deliveries have been by hundreds of donkeys.

The UNICEF and Habitat offices in Bamyan have been reactivated and staff deployed there. UNHCR is in the process of establishing an office. International NGOs previously active in the region, including OXFAM, Solidarites, ACF and MADERA are all now active. The Aga Khan Development Network has established an office in Bamyan. They are now planning a further assessment, with a view to planning long-term development activities. Cooperative Housing Foundation has undertaken an assessment of Yakaolang, with a view to support of the reconstruction of the district bazaar there.

Of high importance will be development-related activities (especially livelihoods promotion) and expansion of social services. The humanitarian crisis in the region is of a long-term nature, and cannot be addressed by relief distributions.

In the health sector, UNICEF and WHO are gearing up to conduct measles vaccination in western Afghanistan and will aim to immunize almost 700,000 children in the west starting in mid-January. The number of children needing measles vaccine in eastern region is about the same.

Meanwhile the World Health Organization is planning to move more than 90% of its professional and other staff to Kabul by a month from today. A few staff will remain in Islamabad to perform various functions there. Several international and national staff will also move to strengthen WHO sub-office in Jalalabad, Mazar, Herat, Kandahar, Faizabad, Ghazni and Kunduz. WHO has more than 200 international and national staff and has eight sub-offices inside Afghanistan. This move will allow the WHO to work closely with the Ministry of Public Health to provide technical advice and training.

In southern Pakistan, yesterday and today UNHCR managed to move some 1,000 Afghans to the Landi Kareze camp, about 15 km west of the Chaman border, out of the several thousands who unexpectedly arrived in the no man’s land area between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

At a time when thousands of Afghan refugees are crossing back into Afghanistan via the Chaman border—by mid-day today another 3000 returned—these families began to arrive near the Killi Faizo staging camp at the border on New Year’s day, after having traveled sometimes for as many as 20 days.

Some of the families have set up makeshift tents with clothing and plastic material to protect themselves at night in the no man’s land area. Just how many of them there are remains uncertain but at least 3,000 of them are visible while several other thousands are reported to be out of sight in the no man’s land area.

The majority of these new arrivals come from southern Afghanistan while others have come from as far as Kunduz and Heart. They come in groups of families and claim to have left as many as 20 days ago for those arriving from Kunduz. Twenty-eight Kunduz families explained that they had to flee their villages over two weeks ago due to bombardments.

Eight other families coming from the village of Malakbarat in the Herat region, western Afghanistan, also indicate that they fled due to fear of bombardments. Although their village was not hit, they felt frightened after hearing of the killing of 22 civilians in the bombardment. They say more families are on the way to Chaman.

Another group of eight Kuchi nomad families, who arrived from Helmand today after a two-day journey through southern Afghanistan, also said that there was some bombardment near Helmand that forced them to flee.

The majority of those arriving however are from the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps of Spin Boldak where they complain about the lack of assistance. In addition, the refugees interviewed also invoked drought as a cause for flight. We feel
that if there is assistance inside southern Afghanistan, this influx may stop. Unfortunately, insecurity in southern Afghanistan continues to hinder delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, UNHCR is working with its partners to find a solution on how to accommodate these refugees in the Chaman area. Already, they are in negotiations with the local authorities to extend Landi Kareze camp northwards to increase its reception capacity. Due to land disputes, they are unable to extend Roghani camp but are also working with the managers of the United Arab Emirates camp in the same location to see how their camp could be extended to take in more of the new refugees.

Finally we have received the following unconfirmed report.

On Saturday 29 December, the village of Niazi Kala, which is six to seven kilometers north of Gardez City in Paktia Province, was hit by a series of air raids by the Coalition forces. The village was struck a number of times beginning at around 3 a.m. local time.

The estimated population of the village was 250 people. During the bombing, five large qalas (fort like traditional compounds) with living quarters inside were razed. It appears that all the inhabitants were buried under the rubble.

After the first raid, some of the villagers, estimated at between 10 to 20 and including women and children, ran north of the village to seek protection around a water source. These people were also attacked and there were no survivors.

The second and third attacks targeted the village. These destroyed more houses and killed more people. Among those killed were six villagers from a neighboring village who had come to try to help the injured and the survivors.

Relatives have identified 52 bodies, and/or collected parts of 52 bodies. The dead include 17 men, 10 women, and 25 children. There were three injured people.

All of the injured and killed were civilians.

The United Nations has repeatedly called upon Coalition forces to make all efforts to protect civilians in the military campaign.

Mr. Brahimi is very concerned and intends to take the first opportunity to discuss this with the Interim Administration, especially with Mr. Karzai, and also with American diplomats at the first available opportunity. He is very concerned with these allegations that civilians have been killed in not very clear circumstances. Mr. Brahimi understands that the Interim Administration and in particular Mr. Karzai are also concerned.