Afghan

Afghanistan: UNICEF official calls for special focus on girls’ education

23 March 2006
With a women’s literacy rate of just 14 per cent in Afghanistan, a senior United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official has called on all Afghan families to give priority to education for the sake of long-term progress, with a special focus on girls who have either been prevented or discouraged from attending school.

UN envoy deeply concerned over Afghan charged for converting to Christianity

22 March 2006
The top United Nations envoy in Afghanistan today voiced “great concern” for an Afghan apparently charged in court for converting from Islam to Christianity in a case that could strain the war-torn country’s relations with the international community.

UNICEF official warns of continuing threats to Afghan women and children

21 March 2006
With Afghanistan’s new school year officially beginning tomorrow, a senior United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official has warned of a continued threat facing Afghan women and children from high rates of child and maternal mortality, low levels of school enrolment and neglect of children’s fundamental rights.

Senior UNICEF official visits Afghanistan to help meet needs of women, children

20 March 2006
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Executive Director Rima Salah has begun a week-long visit to Afghanistan in a bid to draw global attention to the progress being made for the country’s women and children while highlighting unmet needs in areas of health, education and protection.
Tom Koenigs

Government in Afghanistan must reach local communities, UN envoy says

14 March 2006
Against a backdrop of rising terrorism and insurgent attacks in Afghanistan, the top United Nations envoy to the country today said that the Kabul Government must, with international help, extend its reach to local communities.

UN-backed repatriation programme for Afghan refugees in Iran extended

13 March 2006
The United Nations-backed voluntary repatriation programme for Afghan refugees from Iran, which has already seen the return of some 1.4 million people since its inception in 2002, has been extended for another year for the nearly 1 million Afghans still remaining in the war-torn country’s western neighbour.

Annan recommends UN Afghan mission be extended to help with challenges

10 March 2006
Citing enormous security, human rights and other challenges faced by Afghanistan as it struggles to rebuild its shattered society, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today that the UN mission in the impoverished country should be extended.

Women on Afghan buses to get new deal under UN-backed programme

7 March 2006
By the end of the year at least 30 per cent of seats on all public buses in Afghanistan will be reserved for women under an ambitious United Nations-backed programme launched in a country where drivers now speed past stops if only women are waiting while men refuse to give up seats for women and barge past them to board.
A family walks to the truck to Jalalabad

Fifth season of UN-assisted return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan under way

6 March 2006
The United Nation refugee agency's fifth season of assisted returns to Afghanistan from Pakistan, expected to reach 400,000 this year, has begun amid some uncertainty and indecision among refugees.

Afghan opium production likely to increase this year, UN warns

6 March 2006
After decreasing by 21 per cent in 2005, the cultivated area of opium in Afghanistan, the world’s largest supplier of the drug from which heroin is produced, looks likely to rise this year, a United Nations spokesman said today.