Military

DATE=11/14/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=AFGHANISTAN/UNHCR (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-283139

BYLINE=DALE GAVLAK

DATELINE=GENEVA

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United Nations refugee agency says its first delivery of humanitarian aid from Uzbekistan arrived on Wednesday in northern Afghanistan. The agency says the route across the Uzbek border, which was closed about four years ago when Taleban forces took control of Mazar-e-Sharif, will be key to getting aid into northern Afghanistan. Dale Gavlak reports from U-N-H-C-R headquarters in Geneva.

TEXT: The U-N-H-C-R sent two-thousand blankets from the border port of Termez, Uzbekistan by barge across the river into northern Afghanistan.

The U-N children's agency sent winter clothes, and the World Food Program shipped in flour.

U-N-H-C-R spokesman Ron Redmond says opening the route from Uzbekistan would allow U-N relief agencies to make regular deliveries of supplies to northern Afghanistan.

///REDMOND ACT///

Certainly, this route from Termez to Mazar-e-Sherif will allow us to do that. It's a good road and will allow us to speedily begin deploying a lot more humanitarian aid throughout Afghanistan.

///END REDMOND ACT///

Mr. Redmond says that the U-N refugee agency, which is presently working on the borders of Afghanistan, is getting ready to restart activities inside the country.

///2ND REDMOND ACT///

We would hope to be able to resume operations in secure areas of Afghanistan as quickly as possible. We certainly hope it is just a matter of days. But the consent to do that has to come from the U-N security coordinator's office in New York. They have security people on the ground who do assessments to make sure all the conditions are in place for us to accomplish what we need to do in a fair degree of safety.

///END 2ND REDMOND ACT///

Mr. Redmond says the U-N-H-C-R plans to send 10-thousand blankets and two-thousand plastic tarpaulins from Mashad, Iran, to Herat in western Afghanistan on Thursday. He says the U-N-H-C-R is in contact with the Northern Alliance about the logistics of getting aid into the country. (Signed)

NEB/DG/TW/FC