PRESS BRIEFING BY EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR ON UN HUMANITARIAN POLICY IN AFGHANISTAN

Press Briefing

PRESS BRIEFING BY EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR ON UN HUMANITARIAN POLICY IN AFGHANISTAN

The current combination of a hostile security environment, extreme chronic poverty, recurrent natural disasters, an ongoing conflict, and a discriminatory human rights régime had made Afghanistan "probably the most difficult place to work on earth", the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Sergio Vieira de Mello, said today.

Speaking on United Nations' humanitarian policy in Afghanistan, at a Headquarters press briefing on behalf of the Secretary-General, Mr. Vieira de Mello said that recent developments in that country had turned a very difficult operating environment into one in which it was nearly impossible to work. Two of the Afghan nationals working for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) were found dead last weekend from a possible hanging. The United Nations had insisted on a full investigation, and that every effort be made to bring the perpetrators to justice. He added his voice to the expression of outrage by the Secretary-General and heads of humanitarian and development agencies operating in Afghanistan.

In a separate development, the Kabul-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were issued an ultimatum on 14 July to move to a new location in Kabul, to a dilapidated polytechnic school, he said. Upon expiration of that deadline on Sunday, 19 July, the majority of NGOs were compelled to leave. In response to the ultimatum, as well as to other incidents of gross discrimination, the European Commission suspended its funding of all assistance in the Kabul area, effective Saturday, 18 July. That decision had very serious repercussions for the 1 million inhabitants of Kabul, particularly the vulnerable groups which comprised some one quarter of the population. Those people lived almost entirely on humanitarian assistance, particularly food aid provided by the WFP.

He said that approximately 75 per cent of the humanitarian assistance to Kabul was transmitted through NGOs, which were the main partners of United Nations agencies there and in many other countries. On 1 July, he had sent a team to Kabul to initiate discussions with the Taliban in an attempt to make progress on issues contained in the memorandum of understanding signed last May by the United Nations and the Taliban.

[The memorandum of understanding concerns privileges, immunities and obligations of United Nations staff, participation of international and national female staff in United Nations assistance, access to health and education, coordination and follow-up].

Continuing, he said that the issue of relocating NGOs was also discussed in the negotiations, which had lasted 16 days, but the team was unable to change the Taliban's decision to. His colleagues were called to New York last weekend to brief Secretariat officials. In addition, he had convened an inter-agency committee on Tuesday morning at Headquarters. His colleagues also held consultations with the other important actors, including from the donor community and the Department of Political Affairs. He briefed the Deputy Secretary-General this morning by the telephone.

It was agreed at yesterday's meetings that no progress could be made to improve the condition of civilian populations in areas under the control of the Taliban unless dialogue continued, he said. It was also agreed that the humanitarian community had to strive, despite the endless obstacles placed in its path, to serve those in need, particularly in Kabul. It was concluded that the United Nations could not withdraw from Kabul. However, the measures adopted by the Taliban, such as the expulsion of NGOs, the resulting suspension of assistance by the European Commission, and inadequate progress in the implementation of the memorandum of understanding, had forced the United Nations to take steps to reduce and restrict its activities in Kabul to life-saving assistance only.

Further restrictions might apply in the absence of progress within a reasonable time-frame on the range of differences with the authorities, he went on. Those differences concerned the relocation of the NGOs; the issue of the Mahram edict, by which foreign Muslim women were required to be accompanied by a male relative; the access of women and girls to health and education; and a satisfactory outcome of the investigation of the killing of United Nations staff. He was presently discussing the details of those steps and how to proceed with his colleagues. The Security Council yesterday morning unexpectedly asked him to brief its members on the situation in Afghanistan, which indicated the Council's level of attention to that subject.

He recalled the criticism of the United Nations last April for taking a tough line and abandoning populations in need when it withdrew from Kandahar following a series of incidents there. Now it was being criticized for making too many concessions in Kabul. Was it better, in view of unacceptable violations of human rights, to withdraw and condemn, or was it better to remain engaged and to try to make a small difference on the ground, however tenuous the chances of success might be? he asked. At what point should humanitarian agencies draw the line and withdraw, thereby exposing civilian populations in need to even greater harm and suffering? Yet, what level of security risks to his staff was acceptable?

Asked for a description of the abandoned building to which NGO staff were ordered to move, he said it was a polytechnic school on the outskirts of town. It was a shell of a building that looked like the many empty buildings left standing in war-torn towns. He had formerly compared Kabul to an "immense Sarajevo". The building needed an estimated $1 million to

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rehabilitate and to repair, in order to turn it into a working hostel or office.

In the light of criticism that the United Nations was being too concessionary now, did the United Nations shoulder some of the blame for recent developments given its agreement in the memorandum to the principle of relocation? another correspondent asked.

Mr. Vieira de Mello said he remained convinced that such agreement was necessary at that point in time. While the document was admittedly imperfect, like the outcome of any difficult negotiation, he fully supported it. Agreeing to a relocation provision had not meant that the United Nations had agreed to the forcible relocation of NGO staff, both residences and offices, to the polytechnic school. "That was a far-fetched interpretation" of the memorandum.

Another correspondent sought clarification on the future of United Nations humanitarian aid operations in Kabul. He said the Organization was not planning to pull people out of Kabul unless conditions were made impossible for them to continue to work there. It would suspend all rehabilitation programmes, however, except life-saving ones, and not launch any new ones. He intended to continue talking to the Taliban.

Another correspondent asked whether the Taliban had any grounds for its action, in the light of allegations concerning the smuggling of weapons and pornographic literature by NGO staff into Kabul. Mr. Vieira de Mello said it was ridiculous to accuse NGOs of such behaviour, particularly since they were operating under strict surveillance. The Taliban authorities, however, might be seeking to engage the NGOs or the United Nations community in further dialogue involving aspects of the memorandum. While such motivation would be legitimate, the differences should be resolved through dialogue, and "not through unilateral and harsh discriminatory decisions".

Returning to the subject of the memorandum, he said that the NGOs had been invited to attend the negotiations in Kabul last spring. Unfortunately, they had declined. However, the general principles outlined in the memorandum concerning the treatment of international civil servants working for the United Nations also applied by analogy to the NGO community. While the memorandum had not been violated, no progress had been made on certain fundamental programmes outlined in the document. "Tangible, measurable, demonstrable progress", in particular in the areas of equal access by both men and women to health and education, needed to be achieved in an agreed time-frame.

Responding to another question, he said that the Mahram edict was still unresolved. The Organization of Islamic Conference had offered to help find a practical solution to that issue. Indeed, discussions on that item needed to be reopened with the Taliban, which could not continue to postpone indefinitely solutions to such a long list of problems.

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Had he told the Security Council yesterday of his intention to review the situation next month? another correspondent asked. He said he could not give a precise date because he and his colleagues had not yet reached a decision on the time-frame. Moreover, he could not negotiate with the Taliban through the media. Correspondents could be assured, however, that "it was much earlier than Christmas".

Asked if he was considering a deal, he said, yes.

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