• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

PAKISTAN: UNHCR reviewing the way it operates

ISLAMABAD, 12 June 2009 (IRIN) - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is reviewing the way it operates and assessing what adjustments need to be made to ensure the safety of its staff, following the latest bombing incident in Peshawar in which two UN staff were killed.

However, a UNHCR briefing note said there was no question of pulling out.

“We are committed to helping the millions of displaced people in the region. Our operations have continued this week, and we have been working with our partners to register new arrivals in camps and to improve conditions - installing fencing, shades over tents and privacy walls. We intend to remain responsive to humanitarian needs and flexible in how we deliver them.”

The head of the UN system in Pakistan, Fikret Akcura, has told IRIN the 9 June bombing of the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar would “not affect our humanitarian relief operations”.

"We are fully aware that around two million IDPs [internally displaced persons] depend on us... Up to May we had distributed 40,000 tons of food items. In camps every day four million litres of water are provided. We are spending about US$2 million a day on IDPs. So we cannot abandon these people," Akcura told IRIN.

“Of course yesterday's [9 June] event has shaken us badly, but we have a responsibility; we cannot leave two million [people] without daily assistance. This is very important for us. We’ll have to deal with the logistics of the situation,” he said.

The UN lost two colleagues in the blast - Aleksandar Vorkapic of the UN Refugee Agency (from Serbia) and Perseveranda So of the UN Children's Fund (from the Philippines).

“On behalf of the United Nations community in Pakistan, I strongly condemn this heinous attack. No cause can justify the killing and injuring of humanitarian workers and innocent civilians,” Akcura said.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed for donors to come forward with more aid, saying that if new money was not forthcoming “there could soon be serious breaks in the food pipeline… We must alleviate distress and avoid putting the country at risk of a spiralling secondary crisis.”

at/cb

Theme(s): (IRIN) Food Security, (IRIN) Refugees/IDPs

[ENDS]

Copyright © IRIN 2009
This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States.
IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.