02 November 2001
Text: Central Asian Governments Support Afghan Relief Effort
(U.N. official briefs after meetings with Central Asian leaders) (620)
The top relief coordinator for the United Nations says the countries
bordering on northern Afghanistan are "extremely supportive" of
measures designed to improve the delivery of supplies to relieve the
humanitarian crisis looming in Afghanistan. U.N. Under Secretary
General for Humanitarian Affairs Kenzo Oshima made the statement in
New York November 1 upon returning from Central Asia where he met with
leaders of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Oshima said each country has offered to take action to better enable
international humanitarian agencies to transport aid into Afghanistan.
Relief organizations estimate that years of war and drought have
created such desperate conditions in Afghanistan that up to 7 million
people could face hardship and hunger in the winter ahead. The United
States is the leading donor nation in the broad international effort
to avert disaster in Afghanistan.
Following is the text of a press release from the U.N. Department of
Public Information:
(begin text)
UN Department of Public Information (DPI)
1 Nov 2001
Afghanistan: Neighbours Agree To Help Ease UN Delivery Of Relief
Supplies
Afghanistan's northern neighbours have agreed to several measures that
would improve the delivery of emergency supplies into the country as
the humanitarian situation there remained "critical," the United
Nations top relief coordinator said today.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Kenzo Oshima, who
has just returned from a mission to Central Asia, told a press
conference in New York that the main purpose of last week's trip to
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan was to look into ways to
improve the provision of humanitarian assistance into Afghanistan from
its northern neighbours.
"The northern and northeastern provinces of Afghanistan are among the
most vulnerable areas in the country so increasing the flow of
assistance into these areas is one of our top priorities at the
moment," he said. "Certainly this region is not getting as much of the
media attention as the refugee outflows into Pakistan and Iran."
Mr. Oshima said the governments of each country were "extremely
supportive" of that objective and have agreed to several concrete
steps to help the UN achieve its objective.
Turkmenistan agreed to the establishment of two humanitarian offices
close to the Afghan border for logistical and management support
purposes, Mr. Oshima said. This will allow the UN to support its
Afghanistan operations easily and augment the delivery of aid
supplies. For its part, Uzbekistan agreed to allow the UN to use the
Termiz River port for barges and the Termiz Airport for the
stockpiling of goods. Meanwhile, Tajikistan agreed to open a river
crossing into Afghanistan for the delivery of relief material as well
as to allow air operations to be conducted from its territory.
In other news, Pino Arlacchi, Executive Director of the UN Office for
Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP), called on the
representatives of the countries belonging to the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to join in a common effort
to prevent opium poppy cultivation and heroin production in
Afghanistan.
"A reduction in the availability of illicit drugs will address an
important threat to human security in the region and in Europe," Mr.
Arlacchi said in a speech in Vienna to the 55-nation OSCE Permanent
Council. It would also affect the financial base of terrorism and
organized crime, he added.
With the exception of public UN sources, reproduction or
redistribution of the above text, in whole, part or in any form,
requires the prior consent of the original source.
Home Page: www.reliefweb.int
(end text)
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