The United Nations mission in Afghanistan is assessing a staff reduction in the south, southeast and east of the country following a recent spate of attacks, including the killing of an international staff member, but any such move will be measured against the projects and operations in progress there.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today "warmly" welcomed Pakistan's decision to implement a unilateral ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, with effect from the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Fitr beginning tomorrow, and India's positive response to the offer.

Since the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan two years ago, much progress has been made for the country’s women and children, including the immunization of 16 million children against measles and 12 million against polio, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported today.

The United Nations Mine Action Centre in Afghanistan has become the latest UN agency to suspend operations in the southern province of Ghazni until adequate security measures are put in place after an Afghan driver of a vehicle belonging to a partner agency was hijacked.