High UN official alarmed at Taliban detention of staff of aid organization

The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator today expressed alarm at the detention today in Kabul by the Taliban of up to 10 Afghan staff of an aid organization, International Assistance Mission (IAM).

"This is the third incident in the last month in which significant members of aid staff have been detained," Kenzo Oshima, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement. "This follows the recent expulsion of IAM international staff and confiscation of tens of thousands of dollars worth of aid supplies, and months of harassment and arrests of international aid workers."

Mr. Oshima appealed to the Taliban "to take tangible steps to assure the security and freedom to operate of all aid workers in accordance with international law," adding that these detentions without charge could have "serious consequences" on the provision of international humanitarian assistance. "This aid is desperately needed to address extreme suffering caused by war, poverty, human rights abuses, displacement and severe drought," he said.

On 31 August, Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a statement regarding the treatment by the Taliban of international staff of the same aid organization, warning that the action by the Taliban against the aid community could seriously affect the provision of humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan.