UN to decrease staff in Afghanistan

Thu Nov 5, 2009

Afghanistan's deteriorating security has compelled the United Nations to sharply decrease the number of its international staff in the war-torn country.

The United Nations would relocate about 600 of its roughly 1,100 international staff in total, with some being moved to safer sites within Afghanistan while the rest would be withdrawn from the country, said UN spokesman Aleem Siddique.

"The United Nations has been in Afghanistan for half a century and we are not about to leave now. The Afghan people want us to stay," Siddique told Reuters.

Earlier, Reuters quoted a UN source as saying that the world body would determine how many members of the staff are necessary to run on-going programs.

"We will be looking at bringing people back as soon as the security situation allows and secure accommodation is found," the source said. "Instead of having people dotted around the city, they will be consolidated."

A UN statement said it would not make details of the new measures public, adding, "It is expected that they will involve short-term relocations for some staff while additional security is being put in place."

Since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, security has been worsening.

On October 28, five foreign UN staff were killed in an attack at their international guest house in the capital city of Kabul.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/110495.html.