INTERPRETER’S DEATH SPOTLIGHTS PERILS FACED BY JOURNALISTS IN AFGHANISTAN – UN OFFICIAL

The death of an Afghan interpreter who was killed during a rescue operation to free him and New York Times journalist Stephen Farrell from Taliban captivity highlights the dangers faced by media professionals working in the country, the top United Nations envoy there said.

Gunmen reportedly seized Mr. Farrell and Sultan Munadi on Saturday while they were working in a village south of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan.

"Sultan's death is a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by media personnel working in Afghanistan, often in circumstances of considerable personal risk," Secretary-General's Special Representative Kai Eide said in a <"http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1741&ctl=Details&mid=1882&ItemID=5566">statement issued today in Kabul.

Mr. Eide appealed to local authorities and insurgent groups alike to respect the rights of journalists to go about their work.

"Media personnel, whether Afghan or foreign, should not be obstructed in the carrying out of their lawful and professional duties and should be treated as neutral and independent actors.

"Above all, their safety must not be placed in jeopardy," he stated.

SECURITY COUNCIL LAUDS HOLDING OF ‘HISTORIC’ AFGHAN ELECTIONS

The United Nations Security Council has welcomed the holding of Afghanistan's "historic" presidential and provincial council elections, while condemning the actions of those who sought to disrupt the 20 August polls.

"The members of the Council reiterate the importance of these elections as Afghanistan, working together with other members of the international community, continues to make progress towards its goals and congratulate the people of Afghanistan on their participation in these historic elections," the 15-member body said in a statement issued to the press yesterday.

At the same time, the Council condemned the actions of "those who sought to deny the voice of the Afghan people by attempting to disrupt the elections," as well as the violent and terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other extremist groups aimed at destabilizing the situation in the country.

Yesterday's elections, the first to be organized by the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC), were also hailed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who congratulated the country's citizens for exercising their right to vote and paid tribute to all those who made the largely peaceful polls possible.

Mr. Ban's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, said he was pleased with the way the country's elections took place, and noted that there had not been as much violence as had been expected.

"Overall, 20 August 2009 has been a good day for Afghanistan," he told reporters in Kabul after the polls closed, adding that the fact that the elections took place across the country was an achievement for the Afghan people.

Security had been a major concern, with several attacks in the days leading up to the elections, including Tuesday's blast in Kabul which claimed the lives of two UN staffers and at least five others.

The final results of the elections will be announced by the IEC in the coming days.

For Afghan Women, Rights Again at Risk

(Kabul) - When the United States and its allies went to war against the Taliban after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, "liberating the women of Afghanistan" was often cited as one of the reasons to seek "regime change." More than seven years later, however, the situation for Afghan women remains dire.

There have been some bright spots: Women now hold seats in the Afghan parliament, and millions of girls have been able to attend primary school. But educational gains plummet when girls hit secondary school, with just 4 percent of female students reaching 10th grade. Violence against women is endemic; women in public life are regularly threatened, and several have been assassinated.

Things got much worse recently when President Hamid Karzai officially promulgated legislation that would make the Taliban proud. Unfortunately, this is part of a pattern: As Karzai's government has grown weaker he has increasingly turned to some of society's most conservative elements for support.

The Shia Personal Status Law, the most egregious of a series of deals to appease fundamentalist religious leaders and former warlords, contains many provisions that are offensive to women. Custody rights are granted exclusively to fathers and grandfathers. A woman can leave the house without her husband's permission only if she has "reasonable legal reasons," which are unspecified. Yet the law does stipulate financial compensation to be paid by a man who rapes a child or a mentally ill woman, for her loss of virginity, while omitting any reference to a criminal punishment.

Karzai issued the law on July 27 with no public announcement. It came as little surprise that he tried to keep things quiet after the hammering his popularity took in April, when it first emerged that he had signed on to an earlier version of the legislation. President Obama and other world leaders denounced the law then. Even NATO's secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, warned that public reaction in NATO member countries would be to withdraw support for sending their troops to fight in a country that treated women in such ways. Karzai responded by claiming that he had never seen the offending document -- the same excuse he gave last summer after he pardoned two well-connected gang rapists who had served just a fraction of their 11-year prison terms.

Under pressure, Karzai promised to review the legislation. This review led to some improvements, including the removal of an article that gave a man the right to have sex with his wife once every four nights. But many of the most repressive provisions remain. By enacting the law, the president has dashed hopes that official discrimination and the oppression of women by their own government was a thing of the past in Afghanistan.

To guarantee his reelection this week, Karzai has not only made deals with hard-line Shiite leaders but also has held out the prospect of cabinet seats to former warlords and abusive military commanders from all the main ethnic groups. Many of these aging warlords' attitudes toward women are little different from those of the Taliban.

Perhaps of more concern for women and girls is that Karzai is positioning himself as someone who can bring the Taliban and other fundamentalist factions back into the fold. Scant regard is being paid to what this would mean for Afghan women, who have worked courageously for the precious few freedoms they have won in recent years.

When I ask diplomats here what deals with the Taliban will mean for women, I get platitudes and assurances that officials are "only talking to those who sign up to the Afghan constitution." But if the president does not feel bound by the constitution's promise to make men and women equal before the law, should anyone believe it would constrain a former insurgent? As one female activist told me: "Deals with the Taliban will mean everything we have achieved in the last eight years could be lost. It will have been only a dream."

The Kabul government and its backers are supposed to be different from the people they are fighting. Yet with regard to women's rights, Afghans might conclude that there isn't as much difference between the two as they had hoped.

Western governments that expressed horror at Taliban misogyny only a few years ago should not fall silent. Many -- including the U.S. administration -- are uneasy about speaking out about this law so close to the presidential election. But that is just the response that Karzai hoped for. Afghan women want to participate in elections and have peace and security. The price for this should not be their rights.

by Rachel Reid

August 18, 2009

The writer is the Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch.

ICRC Operational Update - Pakistan - Thousands need food, water and medical care

Pakistan: Thousands need food, water and medical care

Humanitarian situation

The security situation in Dir and Swat districts, in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), remains volatile. A curfew is still in place in Swat, where streets are almost empty and most shops remain closed. While the harvesting season is almost over, very few people are tending their fields. The population still does not have access to electricity, water and telecommunications. Most residents fled the fighting of the past weeks but an estimated 40,000 residents still live in Swat today.

"Every time we entered a village, hundreds of people asked for help", says Michael von Bergen, a delegate who took part in a convoy delivering assistance in Swat last weekend. "Those who did not leave are now desperate. They need food, clean water and working medical facilities". The ICRC, the only international humanitarian organisation active in Swat and Lower Dir, has started to assist residents there.

The organization is stepping up its support for people affected by fighting in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). It is working closely with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and other partners within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Following an appeal to donators on 4 June, the ICRC budget for its Pakistan operation stands at over 90 million Swiss francs, making the operation the organization's third largest worldwide.

The ICRC in Swat:

• The ICRC is again present in Swat since 3 June. The organization had worked in Swat prior this latest crisis;
• ICRC health team have supported Saidu Teaching Hospital in Mingora with a generator and fuel to re-establish its access to electricity. They also delivered food, medical supplies, medicine for 10,000 patients for three months and dressing materials. The ICRC evacuated six patients from Saidu Teaching Hospital in Mingora to the ICRC's Peshawar hospital on 6 June;
• Family links were re-established for 100 Mingora residents who had lost contact with relatives who fled south. The organization provided satellite phones to these residents since local phone lines are down;
• A food security assessment was undertaken in Swat as soon as the area could be accessed. The organization decided to respond rapidly and on a wide scale since it is the only international organization currently working in Swat.

ICRC main activities in relation to the crisis:

· Re-establishing family links between Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their relatives (over 1000 in the last month);

· Co-running Shah Mansoor IDP camp in Swabi, which is hosting 20,000 IDPs. Work is ongoing to improve living conditions. The ICRC and the PRCS are currently

preparing the camps for the onset of the monsoon;

· Supporting two PRCS camps in Malakand Agency (10,000 IDPS) and four in Lower Dir (13,000 IDPs);

· The ICRC's hospital in Peshawar is running at full capacity, providing care for 87

patients, 50 of whom are from Swat. 179 operations have been performed in the past week, including on patients evacuated from areas affected by fighting. The hospital is supported by the Finnish Red Cross.

ICRC/PRCS activities outside of Swat:

• Distribution of food in Shah Mansoor's Swabi camp on 9 June;
• Distribution of food and non-food items, including kitchen items, to over 13,000 IDPs hosted in PRCS camps in Lower Dir on 10 June;
• Distribution of food and non-food items to over 2,000 IDPs currently living with host families in Buner on 11 June.

The ICRC in Pakistan currently employs over 800 national staff and 100 expatriates.

FUNDS NEEDED TO REACH 2.6 MILLION DISPLACED PAKISTANIS WITH FOOD AID, SAYS UN

FUNDS NEEDED TO REACH 2.6 MILLION DISPLACED PAKISTANIS WITH FOOD AID, SAYS UN
New York, Jun 3 2009 3:00PM
Without the contribution of urgently-needed funds, the United Nations and its partners will only be able to feed the 2.6 million Pakistanis forced to flee clashes between the Government and militants for the next month or two, it was announced today.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA), the world body has less than half of the $280 million sought to meet the food needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Pakistan.

In addition, the $543 million Humanitarian Action Plan launched late last month is only 22 per cent funded.

OCHA also warned that current stocks of essential drugs will run out by the end of this month. There is already a shortage of hygiene kits and soap in all camps housing some 200,000 of the uprooted, it added.

The World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/hac/crises/pak/releases/3june2009/en/index.html">WHO) said today that the portion of the Action Plan dedicated to health needs is only 11 per cent funded.

There is a high risk of communicable disease outbreaks due to overcrowding, contaminated water, poor sanitation and inadequate health care provision, among other factors, WHO said, cautioning that a funding shortfall will impede abilities to detect and contain outbreaks.
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UN AGENCY OPENS NEW CAMPS FOR PAKISTANIS FLEEING FIGHTING

UN AGENCY OPENS NEW CAMPS FOR PAKISTANIS FLEEING FIGHTING
New York, Jun 2 2009 12:00PM
The United Nations refugee agency said today it has opened two new camps in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) to house thousands of people who took advantage of the lifting of a curfew over the weekend to flee fighting in the Swat Valley.

Ron Redmond, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/home.html">UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva that most of the families fled the Mingora and Char Bagh areas in Swat district to seek refuge in n Mardan, Swabi and Charsadda districts of the province.

"To respond to this new influx, UNHCR, its partners and NWFP authorities have established two new camps in Charsadda and Peshawar districts. Sugar Mill camp, in Charsadda, received 400 families, or 2,400 individuals, yesterday and more people are expected to arrive today," Mr. Redmond <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a250d2b2.html">said.

"Some families who arrived in Sugar Mill yesterday told our teams that they had been living in their basement for a month. They said they were about to run out of food when the curfew was finally lifted last Saturday and Sunday and they were told to evacuate the area. One family said they ate spinach and bread for 25 days before they were finally able to leave their home for safety," he stated.

"The displaced cited shortages of food and medicine as major problems for those who remain stranded in the conflict zone," Mr. Redmond added.

Yesterday, the UN said the number of people displaced by the conflict in NWFP has risen above 2.5 million, and a shortage of funds could cut relief services there.

More than two million people have been driven from their homes by clashes between the Government and militants in the past month, in addition to the 400,000 already displaced in fighting last year.

According to media reports, the Pakistani army has stepped up its offensive in the Swat Valley and other areas of the Province as part of its expanded campaign against the Taliban and Al-Qaida.

Mr. Redmond said UNHCR provided relief kits for 850 families, including mats, plastic sheeting, kitchen sets, jerry cans, and blankets in the Sugar Mill camp. The local government provided tents and labour to clear the site, he said, and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is helping to install latrines.
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LACK OF FUNDS THREATENS AID TO PAKISTAN’S 2.5 MILLION DISPLACED, WARNS UN

LACK OF FUNDS THREATENS AID TO PAKISTAN'S 2.5 MILLION DISPLACED, WARNS UN
New York, Jun 1 2009 5:00PM
The United Nations said today that the number of people displaced by the conflict in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province has risen above 2.5 million, and a shortage of funds could cut relief services there.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York that the new figure, an increase of about 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) over last week's estimate, was based on numbers collected by the UN refugee agency (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a2010ce4.html">UNHCR) and Pakistani authorities, which are registering people both inside and outside camps.

More than two million people have been driven from their homes by clashes between the Government and militants in the past month, in addition to the 400,000 already displaced in fighting last year.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a briefing to the General Assembly today, emphasized the need for greater support to scale up the response of the international community and the Pakistani Government to the situation.

"The human suffering is immense," he said.

The UN and its partners launched an appeal for $543 million on 22 May, of which just over one-fifth has been funded to date. "If we do not get the rest of the funds, we will have to start cutting services," the Secretary-General warned, adding that there is a risk of a destabilizing secondary crisis.

According to media reports, the Pakistani army has stepped up its offensive in the Swat Valley and other areas of the North West Frontier Province as part of its expanded campaign against the Taliban and Al-Qaida.

Ms. Montas said that over the past week, five spontaneous camps have been closed with people moving into established camps.

"The existence of numerous spontaneous camps continues to be matter of concern as they impede registration procedures for IDPs," she said. "They also restrict their ability to receive relief supplies, services and information on long-term support."

Rising temperatures are making it more difficult for families to remain in tents, Ms. Montas added. To address the problem, UNHCR and the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) are attempting to provide facilities such as shaded areas, water points and toilets for IDPs living outside camps.

The UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/public/">UNFPA), for its part, has begun psycho-social support for women in camps of four districts – Lower Dir, Peshawar, Nowshera and Charsadda – through individual counselling and focus group discussions. The agency is also conducting general health, hygiene awareness and reproductive health sessions, Ms. Montas said.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_49840.html">UNICEF) is supporting 29 child-friendly spaces, engaging children in different learning, creative and recreational activities in 13 IDP camps, she said.

Ms. Montas added that water and sanitation conditions in IDP camps need urgent attention to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases.
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ICRC News Release - Pakistan: ICRC and Red Crescent step up emergency response to IDP crisis

Crescent Society (PRCS) are expanding their operations to reach up to 500,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in north-west Pakistan. Numbers are difficult to verify, but there are reported to be at least 2 million IDPs currently staying in camps and with host families in the region.

"In view of the considerable humanitarian needs, we have decided to significantly increase our efforts to help the displaced," said Katharina Ritz, ICRC deputy head of operations for South Asia. "The ICRC and the Pakistan Red Crescent Society are particularly well placed to do this as they have been working in this area for several months." The planned response includes the provision of emergency food and non-food aid and efforts to improve water, sanitation, and medical services. The ICRC and the PRCS will also expand their activities aimed at enabling separated families to re-establish contact.

The ICRC and the PRCS have invited Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to a meeting in Geneva on 5 June to discuss how best to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the ICRC has begun deploying additional personnel to Pakistan where it currently has about 100 international and 700 Pakistani staff.

"In addition to conducting these relief operations, we will intensify our dialogue with all parties on the conduct of hostilities and other concerns related to the protection of civilians affected by the fighting," added Ms Ritz. "The ICRC remains extremely concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the fighting in North-West Frontier Province, where the civilian population is once again bearing the brunt of the violence.”

UN RELIEF CHIEF APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO ADDRESS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ PAKISTANI DISPLACEMENT

UN RELIEF CHIEF APPEALS FOR FUNDS TO ADDRESS 'UNPRECEDENTED' PAKISTANI DISPLACEMENT
New York, May 28 2009 7:00PM
Calling the scale of the displacement of civilians fleeing clashes between the Government and militants in north-west Pakistan "unprecedented," the top United Nations humanitarian official today called on donors to fund an appeal for over $500 million to help the over 2 million uprooted.

The violence, which broke out on 2 May, have driven more than 1.9 million people from their homes, on top of some 500,000 forced to flee violence in the area last year. Only 10 per cent of the total of 2.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the South Asian nation's north-west are living in camps, with the rest seeking shelter with relatives or in rented accommodations and public buildings, such as schools.

Last Friday, the UN and its partners launched a $543 million Humanitarian Action Plan, but Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told reporters in New York today that the appeal is only 21 per cent funded.

"Our view is that this is not remotely sufficient," he said, adding that the world body and relief agencies will not be able to sustain their operations for more than another month unless they receive an influx of funds.

The UN, he pointed out, has stepped up efforts to provide assistance in key sectors such as health, education, water and sanitation, and health, by delivering latrines, food and other supplies, as well as building one dozen new camps for the displaced as numbers of IDPs are on the rise.

"We're already doing quite a lot," Mr. Holmes said, "but we recognize that we need to scale up this effort very significantly in line with the scale and speed of displacement and if we're going to do that, we're going to need additional resources."

He voiced concern over the people still in area of conflict, particularly the Swat Valley, but noted that he has no figures for the number of remaining civilians. "It's very important that all concerned respect international humanitarian law and do all they possibly can to protect civilians," he stressed.

The Under-Secretary-General also warned that the numbers of IDPs in Pakistan could further swell if the Pakistani Government begins military operations in Waziristan, in the country's south.

Among the most critical challenges facing both national and international relief agencies is ensuring that all of the displaced have been registered so that they can receive supplies and services available to them, according to a UN press release issued in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, today.

A key health priority is preventing the spread of disease due to overcrowding and unsafe water supplies, it said. Immunization campaigns for measles and hepatitis B kicked off last week, and the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/public/">UNFPA) plans to set up several additional sites to provide services to pregnant and new mothers and their babies.

"International funding support is critical to keeping this support going at this stage," said Fikret Akcura, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, adding that assistance for displaced families is necessary to ensure their access to sanitation and health services.
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BAN CONDEMNS DEADLY ATTACK IN PAKISTANI CITY OF LAHORE

BAN CONDEMNS DEADLY ATTACK IN PAKISTANI CITY OF LAHORE
New York, May 27 2009 2:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the bombing today in the Pakistani city of Lahore, in which some 30 people were reported killed and 250 wounded.

"No cause can justify such indiscriminate terrorist violence," according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3885">statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson.

The Secretary-General extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_49793.html">UNICEF) has said that the number of people displaced by fighting in the country's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has now reached 3 million.

In an interview with UN Radio, UNICEF Pakistan's Deputy Representative, Luc Chauvin, warned that displaced civilians still face a humanitarian catastrophe unless the international community responds urgently to the recent appeal for funds launched by the UN and the humanitarian community.

On Friday, the UN and its partners appealed for $543 million to help those uprooted by the fighting between Government forces and militants in NWFP since 2 May.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR), about ten per cent of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are living in camps and the rest are staying with friends or in communal buildings, such as schools. The agency continues to assist the IDPs, including by providing tents and other urgent relief items.
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HEADS OF SECURITY COUNCIL COUNTER-TERRORISM BODIES STRESS NEED FOR STOCKTAKING

HEADS OF SECURITY COUNCIL COUNTER-TERRORISM BODIES STRESS NEED FOR STOCKTAKING
New York, May 26 2009 5:00PM
An important part of the work of the Security Council's counter-terrorism committees is stocktaking and reviewing efforts so as to ensure the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions regimes, the heads of three subsidiary bodies said today.

Indeed, one of the major initiatives undertaken by the Counter-Terrorism Committee, set up pursuant to resolution 1373, over the course of the last six months is the stocktaking exercise, its Acting Chairman, Jean-Pierre Lacroix of France, told a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/sc9664.doc.htm">meeting of the Security Council.

"Stocktaking allows the Committee to enhance its regular dialogue with Member States, and to further identify areas where the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) is still inadequate," he stated, adding that the exercise will form a major part of the Committee's work in the coming months.

The review process is also critical to the Council's 1267 (1999) Committee concerning Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions, particularly with regard to the names on the group's Consolidated List of individuals and entities subject to restrictions.

Committee Chairman Thomas Mayr-Harting of Austria said the review is essential to ensure the List is as accurate and updated as possible to help Member States effectively implement the sanctions.

A serious challenge facing the Committee is the growing number of cases before national and regional courts filed by listed individuals and entities who take legal action against the sanctions measures. "The review is therefore an important step towards both improving due process and strengthening the regime," Mr. Mayr-Harting said.

"By either removing names from the List where listing is no longer appropriate, or adding new identifiers and information regarding names remaining on the List, the review will help to improve due process and the quality of the Consolidated List and to implement the sanctions regime more effectively."

Another important aspect of the work of the three committees is enhancing cooperation among them, noted Ambassador Jorge Urbina of Costa Rica, Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) on combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors.

He said the Committee recently established a working group to promote information sharing, coordination on country visits and workshops, technical assistance and other issues of relevance to all three bodies.

"Terrorism and proliferation continue to be a daily reality and a threat to international peace and security faced equally by States and individuals alike," he stated. "Cooperation is therefore a crucial element in the efforts to counter the threat of terrorism, including that from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons for terrorist purposes."
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DISPLACED PEOPLE STILL STREAMING OUT OF PAKISTAN CONFLICT ZONE – UN

DISPLACED PEOPLE STILL STREAMING OUT OF PAKISTAN CONFLICT ZONE – UN
New York, May 26 2009 12:00PM
Clashes between Government forces and militants in north-west Pakistan are continuing to uproot people from their homes, with nearly 130,000 people being registered daily as displaced, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR).

The agency <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/media?page=home&id=4a1bbdbe2">said today that provincial government authorities have noted that the number of uprooted from the Swat, Lower Dir and Buner districts registered in a fast-track process since 2 May has now reached almost 2.4 million people. However, UNHCR cautioned that these figures are being verified and could change.

Currently, the federal Government and provincial authorities are discussing how to provide further aid to internally displaced persons (IDPs) beyond the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters.

"Many people are still reportedly stranded in the conflict zones," he said, adding that the curfew in effect in the area is lifted for only several hours, with roads becoming quickly congested with people rushing to escape the area.

The fare for a bus ride from Mingora, in Swat District, to Mardan town to the south has tripled from 2,000 rupees, or $24, to 6,000 rupees, or $74, according to those who have fled.

Mr. Redmond said that his agency is working with the Government to build separate shaded communal areas for men and women in several camps to provide access to cool areas. In sectors where there is electricity, these spaces have electric water coolers and fans, among other items.

Along with its partner agencies, UNHCR has begun distributing bricks to families to build individual kitchen stoves – to allow them to cook their own meals with rations from the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) – in some camps. Until now, they had been eating cooked meals distributed by the Government.

"At the same time, UNHCR continues to witness many acts of generosity from the Pakistani community towards their fellow citizens," Mr. Redmond said, noting that one private donor contributed food packages for over 2,000 people in Jalozai camp, which now houses a further 50,000 newly displaced people since 2 May.

Meanwhile, others are donating food, clothes and mattresses to thousands of families taking refuge in schools, he said. One woman who now lives in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, but is originally from Mardan, travels every weekend to her hometown to bring cash, clothes and tea she collects from her friends to give to the displaced people, Mr. Redmond reported.

UNHCR is also boosting assistance to people living in schools in Mardan and Swabi districts, and is also planning to help the many uprooted people sheltering with relatives, friends or in rental accommodations.
Over the weekend, 36 tons of relief supplies – tents, plastic rolls, kitchen sets, jerry cans, soap, generators, water tanks and purification equipment – were airlifted to Islamabad by the Italian Government and donated to UNHCR.

Additionally, a UNHCR relief bank in Nowshera has been receiving in-kind donations, such as sleeping mats and water coolers, from private donors.

Mr. Redmond said that the agency is continuing to purchase more supplies within Pakistan and to ship items from its stockpiles around the world, but underscored that it "urgently needs funds to accelerate the purchase of relief supplies for its operation."

Last Friday, the UN and its partners launched a $543 million appeal to help the nearly 2 million people who have escaped the violence in NWFP.

In a statement, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern that "Pakistan is currently witnessing rapid displacement on a massive scale."
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Pakistan: Taliban, Army Must Minimize Harm to Civilians

Humanitarian Situation in the Conflict Area Deteriorating

May 18, 2009

(New York) - The Taliban's use of landmines and human shields and the Pakistani army's aerial and artillery attacks are placing civilians at unnecessary risk in the continued fighting in Pakistan's Swat valley, Human Rights Watch said today.

Residents in the town of Mingora, the epicenter of the fighting, told Human Rights Watch that Taliban militants have laid landmines in the town and prevented many civilians from fleeing, using them as "human shields" to deter attack. Pakistani forces appeared to have taken insufficient precautionary measures in aerial and artillery attacks that have caused a high loss of civilian life. Human Rights Watch expressed concern that food and medical supplies were not reaching the population in the embattled area.

"The Taliban's use of landmines and human shields is a sorry addition to their long list of abuses in the Swat Valley," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "They urgently need to let civilians leave areas of fighting."

Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) provincial government, told the media on May 17, 2009, that almost 2 million internally displaced persons had been registered by authorities. The government feared the number would rise by another 500,000 in the coming days as fighting continued. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, described the situation as, "a massive, massive displacement in the world today." Hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped in the Swat valley and adjoining troubled areas, and are unable to leave because of fighting.

Mingora residents told Human Rights Watch that fewer than 10,000 civilians remain in Mingora. Taliban forces have prevented many from leaving, while others are too infirm or poor, or are unwilling to leave. Several thousand Taliban remain in the town. The Taliban also continued to use battery-operated FM radios and patrols to communicate with residents and impose their authority.

Swat residents still in the valley and people fleeing into the towns of Swabi and Mardan told Human Rights Watch that the Taliban had laid landmines in eight places in Sohrab Khan Chowk, a square in the center of Mingora. Sharifabad, a village near the Haji Baba area about three kilometers from Mingora, has been mined in four places. Residents have seen the landmines being planted, and the Taliban told civilians that they would be blown up if they walked on them. The use of antipersonnel landmines - which are inherently indiscriminate in their targets - and holding civilians as human shields are serious violations of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch said that the Pakistani army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, had given appropriate instructions to the army on May 13 to, "ensure minimum collateral damage even at the expense of taking risks, by resorting to precision strikes." However, Human Rights Watch has received several accounts of high civilian casualties in Pakistani military attacks. On May 8, 35 people, including 14 children and four women, were killed when Pakistani army mortar shells and missiles struck the Shahdra and Wathke neighborhoods of Mingora. Reportedly, none of those killed were Taliban fighters.

On May 11, the military's aerial bombardment of Matta, a Taliban-controlled district in central Swat, resulted in the deaths of at least three women and eight children, witnesses told Human Rights Watch. Residents in the area said that on May 14, Pakistani armed forces attacked Taliban-controlled Takhtaband near the Mingora bypass road. Though residents said that civilians died in the attack, they had not been able to recover the bodies or ascertain the number of dead due to an ongoing curfew and the precarious security situation. The laws of war require warring parties to take all feasible precautions to minimize civilian harm and prohibit attacks that do not distinguish between military targets and civilians.

"If Pakistan wants to win not just the battle for Swat but also a sustainable peace, its armed forces need to minimize civilian casualties and suffering," said Adams. "The people of Swat will expect the Pakistani government and armed forces to protect their safety both during the fighting and afterward."

Human Rights Watch said that because the area where the fighting continues is a closed military zone with journalists and human rights monitors barred from entering, it is currently not possible to verify this information independently. Local journalists have left the area, and the army is not permitting Pakistani reporters or foreign correspondents to enter. The area is under indefinite curfew, lifted only to allow civilians to flee.

Human Rights Watch expressed grave concern about the humanitarian situation in Mingora. The town remained without electricity and fuel, food supplies were dangerously scarce and all hospitals and medical facilities remained shut. Pakistani authorities should consider all possible mechanisms, including airdrops, to ensure that food, fuel, and medical supplies reach those unable or unwilling to leave the conflict area.

DISPLACEMENT IN PAKISTAN LARGEST AND FASTEST IN YEARS, SAYS UN REFUGEE AGENCY

DISPLACEMENT IN PAKISTAN LARGEST AND FASTEST IN YEARS, SAYS UN REFUGEE AGENCY
New York, May 19 2009 2:02PM
Almost 1.5 million people have escaped fighting between Government troops and Taliban militants in north-west Pakistan, the United Nations refugee agency said today, calling the displacement the largest and fastest to occur anywhere in the world in recent years.

According to the Social Welfare Department of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), 1.45 million people have been registered in 89 centres since 2 May.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a12d4482.html">UNHCR) António Guterres, who wrapped up a three-day visit to the area this weekend, has called on the international community for a massive influx of support to assist the surging numbers of uprooted people.

"It's like trying to catch something that's moving ahead of us because the number of people on the move every day is so big and the response is never enough," he said. "Leaving this population without the support they need – with such massive numbers – could constitute an enormous destabilizing factor."

Fewer than 10 per cent of the displaced are seeking shelter in camps, and the 1.5 million who have become internally displaced persons (IDPs) recently join over 500,000 others who fled clashes last year, bringing the total number of displaced to just over 2 million.

UNHCR has set up a relief bank and distribution centre in the NWFP town of Nowshera to both receive and hand out supplies such as pillows and soap. Similar centres are slated to open in the cities of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

The agency, in partnership with the World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/stories/pakistan-wfp-produces-innovative-solutions-amid-idp-crisis">WFP) and the Pakistani Government, has set up humanitarian 'hubs' where IDPs can register, receive supplies and be directed into available shelter within local communities.

For its part, WFP is dispatching record amounts of wheat flour, rice, sugar and pulses, and plans to send enough supplies to feed 1.5 million people.
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UN REFUGEE CHIEF APPEALS FOR MORE AID TO HELP UPROOTED PAKISTANIS

UN REFUGEE CHIEF APPEALS FOR MORE AID TO HELP UPROOTED PAKISTANIS
New York, May 14 2009 5:00PM
The top United Nations refugee official today issued a call for a massive surge in international assistance to help the over 800,000 Pakistanis recently displaced by clashes between Government forces and militants in the country's north-west.

"This is not a moment for small gestures," High Commissioner António Guterres said during a visit to the Yar Hussein camp in the Swabi district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

He kicked off a three-day mission to Pakistan today to assess the emergency response of the UN refugee agency (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a0c3f742.html">UNHCR), which has been rushing aid to the region, to stem the ongoing displacement crisis.

Deploring the pace at which the displacement is occurring, Mr. Guterres emphasized that the time has come for the international community to repay Pakistan for its generosity in hosting millions of Afghan refugees over the years.

Since 2 May, over 835,000 people have been registered as displaced, with fewer than one-tenth of them sheltering in camps. This is on top of the more than 500,000 people registered as fleeing their homes after earlier fighting in the north-west since last August.

Most of the uprooted are staying with relatives or friends, resulting in social and economic hardships, the High Commissioner said. "The dimensions of the problem are far out of proportion to the available resources."

While at the Yar Hussain camp, he spoke with refugee families, saw the registration of new arrivals and met with Pakistani aid workers.

He also visited a World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/stories/pakistan-wfp-reaches-650000-idp-population-grows">WFP) distribution centre, where he watched relief workers hand out food and UNHCR non-food items.

Earlier today, Mr. Guterres met with Najmuddin Khan, Minister for States and Frontier Regions, and Frida Wazir of the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees.

On Tuesday, UNHCR airlifted 120 tonnes of relief supplies – including 10,000 mosquito nets and 14,000 plastic sheets for emergency shelters – from its regional stockpile in Dubai.

Additionally, the agency has been working with Pakistani authorities and organizations to register and help the displaced.

For its part, the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) is working to support health services in camps as well as mobile outreach to cover those sheltering in host communities. Since 9 May, it has delivered 20 mini-emergency health kits – enough for 120,000 people for one month – to internally displaced persons (IDPs) at various sites in NWFP.

The agency has received over $500,000 from the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf">CERF) to meet the health needs of the half million people uprooted by violence and natural disasters in the Province between August 2008 and March 2009 before the current counter-insurgency operation started two weeks ago.

The CERF money will support projects targeting the prevention and control of communicable diseases, the strengthening of health systems, and the provision of clean water and hygienic conditions.
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UN AGENCY READIES FOR HEALTH CRISIS IN NORTH-WEST PAKISTAN

UN AGENCY READIES FOR HEALTH CRISIS IN NORTH-WEST PAKISTAN
New York, May 13 2009 5:00PM
The United Nations health agency said today it is bracing itself for a humanitarian health crisis in north-west Pakistan as fighting between government forces and militants threatens to uproot a further 800,000 people taking the total number of displaced to well over a million.

The World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO) has received over $514,000 from the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf">CERF) to meet the health needs of almost 550,000 people who had already been displaced by violence and natural disasters in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) between August 2008 and March 2009 before the current counterinsurgency operation started two weeks ago.

The CERF money will support projects targeting the prevention and control of communicable diseases, the strengthening of health systems, and the provision of clean water and hygienic conditions.

The agency reported some 22 disease outbreaks of varying severity since August, including acute watery diarrhoea, bloody diarrhoea, measles, malaria, chicken pox and mumps. Fatalities related to waterborne diseases had also been recorded.

WHO also reported that over 4,000 of the 20,000 children under the age of five that they had surveyed in NWFP suffered from acute malnutrition.

Underfed children and women with low immunity are more likely to contract communicable diseases, especially in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and districts with compromised water and sanitation systems, WHO warned.

Meanwhile, a cargo jet charted by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) yesterday delivered 120 tonnes of additional relief supplies for immediate distribution to those fleeing the fighting. The supplies were taken to the agency's warehouse in Peshawar, and then distributed to various sites hosting displaced people.
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Pakistan: Avoid Civilian Casualties

Taliban Atrocities No Excuse for Abuses by Military

May 11, 2009

(New York) Pakistani armed forces and Taliban militants should take all necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties in fighting in Pakistan's volatile Swat valley and adjoining areas of the North West Frontier Province, Human Rights Watch said today.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled their homes since the Pakistani army began major military operations on May 7, 2009, to oust the Taliban from the valley and other areas of the Malakand region of the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA).

"Beheadings and use of human shields by Taliban forces are not a blank check for the Pakistani army," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Winning the war, but also the peace, in Swat can only be achieved by minimizing civilian suffering."

People fleeing the valley into the town of Mardan told Human Rights Watch that the Taliban had mined parts of the valley and were preventing people from leaving the town of Mingora and outlying areas, effectively using the people there as human shields to deter military attack. Human Rights Watch also received reports from people forced to flee the fighting, that the Taliban are continuing their vigilantism and violent attacks, including killings and public beheadings, particularly in Mingora.

Displaced persons told Human Rights Watch that on May 10, the Taliban shot and killed Maulana Zahid Khan, imam of the central mosque at Nishat Chowk, Mingora, because he had objected to their stockpiling arms and laying landmines. Zahid Khan was dragged into the town square and executed when, accompanied by other local residents, he confronted the local Taliban commanders, telling them that their activities could not possibly be construed as Islamic.

Human Rights Watch also received reports of civilian deaths and the destruction of property in the Pakistani military's aerial bombardment. However, because the area is a closed military zone with journalists and human rights monitors barred from entering, it is currently not possible to verify this information independently. Local journalists have left the area, and the army is not permitting Pakistani reporters or foreign correspondents to enter. The area is under indefinite curfew, lifted briefly to allow civilians to flee. Power and telephone links to the rest of the country have been severed since April 28. People who fled the valley also reported food shortages there.

Given the scant regard the Taliban and the Pakistani army have in the past shown for the welfare of civilians during fighting in the Swat valley and in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Human Rights Watch expressed particular concern about possible civilian deaths and injuries.

"The United States has urged Pakistan to find a military solution to the Taliban," said Adams. "But it must also send the message that the laws of war must be followed and civilians protected."

On April 13, President Asif Ali Zardari signed an ordinance imposing Sharia law in the Swat valley and effectively empowering the Taliban and other groups there and in surrounding areas of PATA. But on May 7, in a nationally televised address, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani declared an end to the peace deal with the Taliban, citing multiple violations of the deal by the Taliban and vowing to "eliminate them."

Since 2007, the Taliban have imposed their authority in Swat and adjoining areas through summary executions, including beheadings of state officials and political opponents, public whippings, and large-scale intimidation of the population. Girls' schools have been shut down, women have not been allowed to leave their homes unless escorted by male family members, polio immunization programs were halted, and nongovernmental organizations were expelled. Music and film were banned and stores trading in them destroyed. All men were required to grow beards.

Human Rights Watch has called upon the Pakistani government to arrest those responsible for violations of human rights and hold them legally accountable.

"The Taliban have perpetrated and continue to inflict heinous abuses upon the people of Swat and need to be held accountable," said Adams. "It is absolutely essential that this barbarism is halted and the rule of law reestablished in Swat and adjoining areas."

Human Rights Watch said that the Pakistani military in previous operations in FATA had resorted to mass arrests, excessive use of force in policing operations, and collective punishment of the civilian population. While there have been no confirmed reports of such measures during current operations, Human Rights Watch urged the Pakistani military to ensure that such abuses are not repeated.

"Pakistan has to end the cycle of bad fighting followed by making a bad peace," said Adams. The lesson of Afghanistan is that the only way of preventing a Taliban resurgence, is for the other party to ensure that its treatment of civilians is humane and respectful, that suffering is minimized rather than exacerbated, and that immediate and sustained relief is provided to the displaced."

Human Rights Watch called upon concerned governments and international agencies to provide immediate and substantive financial and logistical support to address the humanitarian crisis caused by the fighting. About half a million people were displaced in the North West Frontier Province even before recent fighting began. This number is expected to double within a matter of days.

"Pakistan is facing one of the largest displacements of people seen in South Asia since the partition of India in 1947," said Adams. "Unless this crisis is dealt with urgently and competently while minimizing the scope for corruption, the humanitarian and political crisis in the region will only worsen."

Pakistan fighting could swell camp population to 800,000 - ActionAid is there

ActionAid press release
for immediate release 12 May 2009

Pakistan needs international help to cope with the hundreds of thousands of people who are fleeing the fighting between government and Taliban forces in northwest Pakistan, ActionAid said today.

Fikre Zewdie, director of ActionAid Pakistan said: “More than 800,000 people could soon be living in camps or waiting for places in them. People urgently need food, water, shelter, sanitation and health care. The fighting could continue for a longer period, so they will not be going home soon. Pakistan cannot handle a crisis on this scale without international help.”

ActionAid staff are now in the field assessing the situation so that ActionAid can respond appropriately and effectively to help those in need.

The exodus began when government forces began operations against the Taliban in Swat and neighbouring districts last week. The temporary lifting of a curfew on Sunday 10 May allowed many more people to leave.

About 360,000 displaced people have now registered with the authorities, in camps or other locations, in Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda and Kohat districts. But many more are waiting to register or still on the move. Authorities in Mardan estimate that altogether 600,000 to 800,000 people have been displaced by the latest fighting.

The majority are expected to find rented accommodation or stay with relatives. But accommodation in the towns is becoming scarce. Aid agencies estimate that 300,000 will come to the camps, where 560,000 are already living because of earlier fighting in tribal areas. This could swell the camp population to more than 800,000.

People are queuing in very hot weather for tents or shelters, often fruitlessly. Water, medicine and sanitation facilities are very scarce and people are becoming increasingly agitated. The registration process requires identity documents, but some people left home too hurriedly to bring these with them and many, particularly women, do not have ID cards in the first place.

---ENDS---

ActionAid is a registered charity No. 274467 and a company limited by guarantee
Registered office: ActionAid, Hamlyn House, MacDonald Rd, London N19 5PG, UK
Registered in England and Wales - Company No. 1295174

UN EXPANDS PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN WITH NEW OFFICE IN THE NORTH

UN EXPANDS PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN WITH NEW OFFICE IN THE NORTH
New York, May 9 2009 10:00AM
The United Nations opened its 20th office in the northern Sar-i-Pul province of Afghanistan on Saturday, continuing the world body's drive to promote development across the strife-torn nation.

"I consider this opening to be especially important, because it reflects one of our most important objectives to draw more attention and resources to the poorest provinces," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Kai Eide said at a ceremony marking the event.

Mr. Eide, who heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said that the poor and the stable provinces in the Central and Northern parts of the country cannot continue to be neglected.

Pledging to push for an equitable and astute distribution of assistance to the people of Sar-i-Pul and across Afghanistan, he warned that if we allow "this feeling of unfairness to continue, then the result could be instability where t
here is today stability."

The new office in Sar-i-Pul aims to introduce agricultural reform as to avoid the constant humanitarian crises of the past, as well as devote attention to human rights, particularly the rights of women.

"Afghanistan needs the resources and talents that its women can bring to the development of the country," he said. "It is a not just a question of human rights of individuals, but also the future of the entire country."

Mr. Eide also used the occasion to urge the people of Afghanistan to ensure that the upcoming presidential and provincial elections are free of corruption and compliant with the country's Constitution and laws.

Earlier this week, the Special Representative opened a UNAMA office in Tirin Kot, the capital of the southern province of Uruzgan, stating that the "opening of our office should serve as a signal encouraging others to come and work in this province."

UNAMA's other offices are located in Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz, Heart, Kandahar, Nang
arhar, Bamyan, Kabul, Gardez, Ghor, Kunar, Khost, Nimroz, Badghis, Maimana, Uruzgan, Faizabad, Daikundi and Zabul provinces. In addition, the mission has liaison offices in the Iranian capital of Tehran and the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
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PAKISTAN: UN AGENCIES CONCERNED OVER ‘MASSIVE DISPLACEMENT’ IN NORTH-WEST

PAKISTAN: UN AGENCIES CONCERNED OVER 'MASSIVE DISPLACEMENT' IN NORTH-WEST
New York, May 8 2009 2:00PM
The United Nations agencies tasked with protecting refugee and children's rights today expressed deep concern over the "massive displacement" in north-west Pakistan caused by the widening armed conflict between Government forces and militants.

The provincial government estimates between 150,000 to 200,000 people have already arrived in safer areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) over the last few days, with another 300,000 already on the march or about to leave, according to the UN High Commission for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a043ce52.html">UNHCR).

UNHCR noted that those fleeing the latest escalation of hostilities in Lower Dir, Buner and Swat join another 555,000 previously displaced Pakistanis who had fled their homes in the tribal areas and NWFP.

The new influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) will place huge pressure on the resources already shared by around 93,000 people sheltering in 11 UNHCR-supported camps and over 450,000 staying in rental accommodation or host families.

To date, more than 83,000 recent IDPs from Buner, Dir, and Swat have been registered, including almost 5,000 staying in three new camps and more than 78,000 people who are staying outside of camps.

In Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and other urban centres of the Punjab, UNHCR has registered a further 40,000 displaced people mainly from Bajaur, Mohmand and Swat over the past two weeks.

As part of a joint UN response to the influx of people fleeing the fighting in Lower Dir, Buner and Swat over the past week, UNHCR has helped establish three new camps, including Jalala and Shiekh Shehzad camps in Mardan and Yar Hussain in Swabi district.

In the last two days, an increasing number of families from Swat have gone to the Jalala camp, travelling in rickshaws, cars, small trucks and buses with little more than the clothes on their backs, UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a04019d2.html">told reporters in Geneva.

New arrivals told UNHCR staff that they had trouble finding transport and had to pay steep prices to hire vehicles. One family of 20 from Buner reported paying the equivalent of $350 to travel to the camp from their home. Another man from Mingora, Swat, drove with his family in his rickshaw a harrowing seven hours to reach the safety of Jalala camp in tears.

Yesterday, a new reception centre – the first of four planned centres – opened on the main Malakand Road at Jalala to give people food, water and information about the camps and registration centres. Plans to provide medical care and transport assistance at the reception centres, as part of the joint UN response, are also underway.

UNHCR is currently responding to the emergency with relief supplies – such as tents, plastic sheets, buckets, jerry cans, and kitchen sets – for 100,000 people, while buying additional supplies for an additional 200,000.

"The majority of those worst affected are children, who have witnessed violence, experienced displacement, and faced interruptions to education and health services," the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_49618.html">UNICEF) said in a news release.

UNICEF noted that it was working closely with its aid partners, as well as the Federal and Provincial governments to provide assistance for people staying with relatives and to support the three new camps established in the last week.

To prevent the spread of disease among children, UNICEF Pakistan is supplying the camps with safe water, sanitation facilities and hygiene kits. The agency has also vaccinated more than 10,000 children under five years of age at transit points, as well as provided ongoing support for orphans and unaccompanied children who are fleeing, including a primary school in one new camp with an enrolment of around 200 children.

The agency also expressed concern for the civilians, especially children, still living in combat zones and "strongly urged all parties to take immediate measures to ensure that children are protected from the effects of armed conflict, and that aid workers and supplies for IDPs and civilians in conflict areas have safe passage."
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