Afghan

Following deadly riots in Afghanistan, Annan pledges continued UN support

30 May 2006
Reacting to the recent deadly riots in Afghanistan reportedly sparked by a road accident involving a United States convoy, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today stressed that the United Nations would continue its assistance for stability in the war-wracked country.

Afghanistan: UN urges calm after unrest apparently sparked by US convoy accident

29 May 2006
Reacting to violence in Kabul apparently sparked by a road accident involving a United States convoy and local people, the United Nations operation in Afghanistan today urged calm in the face of what a spokesman for the world body termed a “tragedy.”

Millions of Afghans could go hungry as lack of funds forces UN food agency to cut aid

25 May 2006
Due to a critical shortage of funds and resources, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will soon be forced to abandon plans to provide around 2.7 million of the poorest and most vulnerable Afghans with vital food aid to help them through the winter, the agency said today.

UNICEF joins Afghan Government in fighting adult illiteracy

23 May 2006
Responding to the plight of Afghanistan’s 8 million illiterate adults, more than 200 literacy teacher trainees, the vast majority women, have embarked upon tutor training programmes in three western provinces as part of a joint Government-United Nations effort to improve reading skills among the older generation.

Afghanistan: UN mission has no plans to close offices in conflict-torn south

22 May 2006
Although the security situation in southern Afghanistan has deteriorated over the past six months, the United Nations mission in the country has no plans to move out of the area, a spokesman said today.

Number of Afghan returnees in 2006 passes 50,000 mark – UN refugee agency

16 May 2006
The number of Afghan refugees returning home this year from Pakistan under the United Nations refugee agency’s (UNHCR) voluntary repatriation programme is set to pass the 50,000 mark, bringing to some 3 million the total who have left Pakistan in the four-year-old programme, an agency spokesman said today.
A child in Afghanistan

New UN-backed strategy aims to improve care for most vulnerable Afghan children

15 May 2006
With at least 20 per cent of primary school age children in Afghanistan undertaking some form of work, and an estimated 40 per cent of girls married before the age of 18 and thus denied access to education, a new United Nations-backed strategy is focusing on developing community and family-based support for vulnerable youngsters.

Afghanistan: Security Council condemns attack on UNICEF workers

15 May 2006
Condemning a recent terrorist attack in Afghanistan against a vehicle of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Security Council today urged the country’s authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

UN officials mourn relief workers killed in Afghanistan

13 May 2006
Reacting to a recent attack in Afghanistan against relief workers from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other humanitarian organizations, senior UN officials today mourned the victims and stressed that aid personnel should be able to operate in safety.
Child receiving polio vaccine

Afghanistan: UN-backed polio campaign underway targets more than 2 million children

8 May 2006
More than 2 million Afghan children are currently being immunized in a United Nations-backed three-day polio eradication drive following a sixth reported case of the crippling and sometimes fatal disease in the south of the country this year.