PRESS BRIEFING BY EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR

PRESS BRIEFING BY EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR

Now that the hostilities had intensified, it was necessary to remind the world of the need to protect innocent civilians, to distinguish between them and combatants, and to secure the necessary conditions for delivering aid, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Kenzo Oshima told correspondents this afternoon at a Headquarters press briefing.

Recently returned from a mission to Iran and Afghanistan, Mr. Oshima said that United Nations would do everything it could to provide humanitarian assistance to the nearly 7.5 million Afghan civilians.  His colleagues on the ground had done a "remarkable job" to ensure that the United Nations could do just that.

Joining him at the briefing was Kevin M. Kennedy, Chief of the Humanitarian Emergency Branch of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Mr. Oshima also co-chaired the Forum on Afghanistan, held in Geneva on 4 and 5 October, with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers.  Among those taking part were donor governments, neighbouring countries and representatives of Afghanistan and the United Nations.  During the meeting, donors had expressed their intention to provide over $700 million for humanitarian needs in and around Afghanistan, with much of that being allocated to the United Nations Donor Alert, launched by the Secretary-General on 27 September.  

Also during his mission, the Under-Secretary-General carried letters from the Secretary-General to Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, outlining the willingness of the United Nations to respond to any additional refugee flows and requesting their support in those efforts.  Mr. Oshima said he was confident that he had their support, and he urged all governments in the region to provide similar support.

At the earliest, he said, the United Nations agencies would aim to step up their relief efforts, particularly in the cities of Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul.  Doing so, he stressed, would require the cooperation of all parties. 

Mr. Oshima expressed his deep concern over yesterday's attacks on United Nations offices in Quetta, calling them "extremely unfortunate and worrying".  The offices of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) were set on fire and destroyed while the UNHCR and United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan offices were attacked.  Although all staff were reportedly safe, their ability to work was severely constrained.

He said that during his visit to Pakistan, he had met with the Governor of Baluchistan and discussed joint measures to be taken, including those to ensure the safety and security of United Nations staff in Quetta.

Responding to questions, Mr. Oshima said that all neighbouring countries had officially closed their borders with Afghanistan.  While the United Nations had not seen waves of refugees arriving in the border areas of Iran or Pakistan, it was increasing its preparedness for any potential refugee influx.  Both of those Governments, he stated, were cooperating in those efforts.

A combination of factors, including the recent drought, had contributed to a precarious situation for those still inside Afghanistan, he said.  As a result, airdrops were needed and encouraged.

Asked if there had been any cooperation between his Office and the American and British airdrops, Mr. Oshima said that there had not been any consultations prior to those airdrops, but his Office had been informed and was in touch with both Governments.

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