ERC Valerie Amos calls for continued commitment to the Afghan people

(Kabul/New York, 8 May 2012) On the first day of her first mission to Afghanistan, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, has called upon donors and humanitarian agencies to give continued support to the people of Afghanistan.

ERC Amos is visiting Afghanistan to assess the humanitarian situation in the country. While in Afghanistan, Ms. Amos will meet with representatives of the Government and humanitarian partners to discuss the humanitarian situation in the country.

After a meeting with His Excellency Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili, Ms Amos said that humanitarian agencies have been in Afghanistan for decades and remain committed to supporting the Afghan people during the period of transition and beyond. “Much has been achieved over the past decade, but there is still much more to do,” she said. “There are 5 million Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries and a significant number of people are still internally displaced.”

She emphasized that the period of transition will require careful management. “Although overall international assistance is expected to reduce, we must continue to mobilise resources to help those in acute need. We need to balance support for the security sector with a very strong emphasis on basic service delivery, development and governance,” ERC Amos stressed.

Referring to her discussions with the Second Vice President, the ERC underlined that the government and humanitarian partners need to focus on ways of providing more effective relief to natural disasters as well as working to build the longer term resilience of local communities.

“Afghans in acute need require timely relief and assistance, delivered impartially. We must continue to improve the humanitarian response and provide support in a way that helps the Government to build its capacity to respond and to better prepare for disasters.”

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