House No 04, Street 89, Sector G/6-3, P.O. Box 1263, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92 51 922-1124 & 25 ext.207 Fax: +92 51 227 7683

November 17, 2003

ISLAMABAD, 17 November (UNHCR) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced on Monday it is temporarily closing its voluntary repatriation centres for Afghan refugees in Peshawar and Quetta until the security situation inside Afghanistan is clarified.

A UNHCR officer, Bettina Goislard, was killed on Sunday when two men fired at close range on a clearly marked UNHCR vehicle in the center of Ghazni city, 100 km south of the Afghan capital of Kabul. Her driver, Abdul Salam Sadid, suffered a bullet wound in his arm.

UNHCR is temporarily suspending the assistance programme to returning Afghan refugees to ensure they do not arrive at UNHCR offices inside Afghanistan that may not be open. Refugees who have sought assistance to go home receive the aid - a travel grant, food and some other items - on arrival at designated UNHCR offices inside Afghanistan.

For further detail please contact the following person -

Media Contact: Jack Redden: ++92-300-500-1133
Maki Shinohara: ++93-70-279-006