ERC spotlights the humanitarian impact of under-development

(Kabul/New York, 10 May) On the third day of her four day visit to Afghanistan, Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos visited Balkh province in northern Afghanistan. There she met families affected by natural disaster and conflict, as well as with the humanitarian community.

Along the Amu Darya river in the village of Buzareg, ActionAid and Mr. Shahin Agaha, head of the district shura, showed Ms. Amos the destruction caused by riverbank erosion, which consumes more than 500m of land each year, destroying homes, agriculture lands and livelihoods together with schools, roads, and clinics. “Families are forced to leave their homes - some of which have stood for decades - and face a very difficult and uncertain future. We will continue to support them with immediate assistance, but what is really needed is a long term solution to this problem,” she said.

“Natural disasters occur in Afghanistan on a regular basis. Annual flooding is the norm and there have been eight droughts in 11 years. More must be done to help local authorities prepare better and we must make a greater effort to build the resilience of communities,” Ms. Amos said.

She met separately with the women and children of Buzareg. “Women and children remain particularly vulnerable in Afghanistan. Infant and maternal mortality rate are amongst the highest in the world and child and adult literacy rates are amongst the lowest. To break this cycle of underdevelopment, special attention must be paid to the specific needs of women and children,” Ms. Amos stated.

In Mazar-i-Sharif, Ms. Amos met with families displaced by conflict in areas of the north previously seen as calm. She listened whilst men and women told heartbreaking stories of the violence and intimidation which had resulted in their displacement. She called on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. “Every effort must be made to minimize harm to civilians and ensure respect for and protection of civilians,” she said.

Contacts

Aidan O’Leary,Head of Office, OCHA Afghanistan, +93 79 300 11 01;

Christophe Verhellen, Public Information Officer, OCHA Afghanistan, +93 79 300 11 32

For further information, please call:

Clare Doyle, OCHA New York, doylecm@un.org, Tel. +1 212 963 5009, Cell +1 646 288 6331

OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.int