TALKING POINTS

Three Mass Graves discovered in Bamiyan
On the afternoon of 5 April 2002 at 5.00pm, the discovery of three previously unknown mass graves near the Bamiyan airport was brought to the attention of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Afghan Interim Administration. We were informed that representatives of the Hazara community in Bamiyan believe that the graves contain bodies of members of their community, killed (by their estimates) approximately one month before the fall of the Taliban. The community was anxious to exhume the bodies for proper burial, but did not wish to do so before the site and its evidence were properly recorded. We were requested to take urgent action to have the sites visited and documented, and to do so as expeditiously as possible so that reburial could commence. Yesterday, consultations were undertaken with community representatives, initiating measures for the immediate protection of the site. Today a team, comprised of the Human Rights Advisor and the Police Advisor will accompany a representative of the Minister of Interior to Bamiyan. The team will visit the site, undertake a preliminary assessment and verification, consult with the local community and authorities, and then return to Kabul to make its recommendations.

Update on Floods in Faryab Province
According to reports from the Regional Co-ordinator of Maimana we are able to give you some information following the visit by assessment teams to the area. The road mission, arrived after six hours of travel. The helicopter assessment team did not land in Deh Marin (six hours drive southeast of Maimana in the Bilchiragh District) but did pass over the area and reported not seeing any extensive damage from the air.

The area affected by a hailstorm and heavy rains around 3.00pm on 29 March, approximately one week ago.

They reported considerable damage to cropland especially the irrigated land around the village, with varying levels of damage to houses. There were no injuries reported although people still appeared to be in shock. Local leaders reported burying 13 bodies, with 11 people missing.

Whatever assistance is required will be provided by the stocks available in the region. The team continued its work throughout yesterday focusing on assessing the scale of damage to homes in order to establish what shelter assistance is required, the percentage of damaged farmland and those households which require food assistance.

Update on Assistance to Returnees
Today UNCHR has purchased locally 15,000 beans which is equivalent to 1,000 shelter kits (windows, doors and other tools), and these will be delivered in the next two days to the population of refugees and internally displaced persons that has recently returned to the Shomali Plain.

UNHCR has allocated resources for an additional 5,000 shelter kits. Other donors and NGOs have also indicated firm commitment for additional shelter kits totalling 12,000, which should be made available shortly for the population that has been returning to the Shomali Plain.

Update on the Earthquake Site in Nahrin
A measles campaign began on 4 April and a workshop for teachers was undertaken to help address post-traumatic stress syndromes in children.

Mobile Health teams will continue for another six weeks; the filling of water bladders and keeping springs operational will continue for another two-three weeks. Within a month, projects such as cash-for-work programmes, cleaning canals will begin to restore them to pre-quake condition. In the longer term, agencies will focus on improving the water system by drilling wells and securing springs.

Regarding rehabilitation, the Housing and Shelter group, lead by Habitat, is finalising a new housing plan, more resilient to natural disasters, which will be used nationally by the authorities.

Implementation Group Meeting
The Implementation Group Meeting will take place in Kabul on 10-11 April 2002. The meeting will be convened by the Afghan Interim Administration and chaired by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Hedayat Amin Arsala. Some 140 participants are expected to attend, including members of the Interim Administration, donor delegations as well as representatives of NGOs and the UN system.

During the two-day meeting, the Interim Administration will present its national budget and the outline of a National Development Framework. There will also be review of key priority projects that need quick implementation.

Now on some arrangements for media as they stand for now. The conference will take place at the old Prime Minister's Office. There will be an advance press briefing by Ashraf Ghani, Executive Director of the Afghan Assistance Coordination Authority in the afternoon of 9 April, the day before the conference opens. The opening session will be open to the media. There will be a press conference at the end of the conference mid-afternoon on 11 April. We will confirm all details in the press briefing on Tuesday morning.

Questions and Answers

Q: Can you give some indication of who these individuals were who were buried in the mass graves and approximately how many?
Spokesman: I do not have answers to any of those questions. We were just told by the local folks, late afternoon on Friday, and this morning the mission went out there to get more details.

Q: Question on refugee arrivals.
Spokesman: As of Friday, two days ago, a total of more than 180,000 Afghan refugees in Pakistan returned home to Afghanistan.

Q: When is the Iranian border going to be open for refugees to return?
Spokesman: The assisted return starts on 8 April 2002.

Q: Question of aid getting through to the earthquake site.
Spokesman: There was, as it normally happens, once distribution takes place, teams go back in order to check how the distribution went on. There were some discrepancies and that was being corrected [through] further distribution, but nothing beyond that. Of course the authorities are informed, and if it is a matter of security they will be taking the appropriate action.

Q: [Inaudible] Question in Bamiyan mission.
Spokesman: As I said, we received a phone call late on 5 April, Friday. A number of contacts were made yesterday and early this morning, we had some colleagues along with a representative from the Administration go to Bamiyan to look at the sites, to talk to the community and come back with recommendations. [Inaudible]

Q: [Inaudible] Question on the Implementation Group Meeting.
Spokesman: On Tuesday morning I will be able to confirm all the arrangements, there will be a lot of security. The meeting is being convened by the Interim Administration and we are lending our support. It will be at the Old Prime Minister's Office but security arrangements have not been concluded yet.

Q: So none of the bodies have been dug up? What is the time reference when you say the fall of the Taliban?
Spokesman: All we can tell you is we were called and have dispatched [a mission] there this morning and they will try to find out more about it.

Q: Are there any forensic experts here in Afghanistan?
Spokesman: I am not aware but if there is the need for that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights does have a roster of forensic experts around the world which can be called upon at very short notice.