UN Afghanistan welcomes emergency donor response

Islamabad (Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan), 9 February 2001 -- The Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan acknowledges the recent contributions to Afghanistan by the Governments of Sweden, Norway, Canada, and the United States. The contributions come in the wake of urgent appeals by the United Nations for assistance to displaced persons inside Afghanistan. Additional funds against the 2001 Consolidated Appeal have also been made available by the European Union, the Government of Japan, the UN Foundation, OCHA, and Rotary International.
Canadian donations of US$ 467,000 to Afghanistan will provide much needed supplies to internally displaced persons in Herat, as well as funds for a UNCHS (Habitat) programme that targets vulnerable Afghans, including women and the displaced. The Swedish donation of just over a half a million US dollars, channelled through UNDP/FAO, will be used to purchase seeds for poor, drought affected farmers. The United States will airlift several hundred thousand dollars worth of emergency supplies including tents and blankets to displaced persons in the camps in Herat. The Norwegian contribution to the United Nations efforts to provide relief items in Afghanistan comes to almost half a million dollars; in addition, Norway has pledged over US$200,000 to UNICEF Afghanistan, and just over $900,000 for NGOs.

In a joint meeting of United Nations Afghanistan, United Nations Pakistan, and donor representatives that took place on 8 February in Islamabad, United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan Erick de Mul noted that the situation in Afghanistan has seriously deteriorated in the course of 2000 and early 2001.

"The situation in Afghanistan is very, very bad. The Afghan population is now on the edge of an abyss from which there will be no recovery for the most unfortunate," he said. "Two years of drought, and many years of war, have culminated in a major human tragedy."

The United Nations currently estimates that over half a million Afghans have left their homes and become newly displaced, or refugees, during 2000 and early 2001. The recent death of 150 Afghans, of whom over 130 were children, in camps in Herat is just the beginning of a situation that is expected to worsen--quickly and dramatically--over the next several months.

De Mul noted that recovery from the drought would be difficult, given the loss of livestock, the lack of seed, and what looks like subnormal snowfall and rainfall this winter. Afghanistan's longer-term agricultural potential has been severely affected, with heavy losses of fruit trees and vineyards. He emphasised that it was essential that the $229 million Consolidated Appeal for Afghanistan be met quickly to help agricultural production recover. "Afghans will die and the crisis will deepen if more resources are not quickly made available," De Mul said.

For further information, please contact: Stephanie Bunker, Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan, 92 51 2211451 x 415; 0320 261325