Annan Urges Taliban to Assure Security of Humanitarian PersonnelU.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Friday urged Taliban to assure the security of humanitarian personnel in Afghanistan.In reaction to the Taliban's reported detention of aid workers in Afghanistan, Annan, through his spokesman, said the action taken by the Taliban against the aid community could have serious consequences. Reports said that non-Afghan staff of the International Assistance Mission (IAM) have been detained by the Taliban in Herat and in Jalalabad. The U.N. chief appealed to the Taliban to assure the security, as well as freedom to operate, of all international aid workers in accordance with international law. The secretary-general "is also concerned about the order of expulsion given to all international staff of IAM, which may bring to an end their assistance activities in Afghanistan," noted the spokesman. "This aid is desperately needed to address extreme suffering caused by war, poverty, massive displacement, and severe drought." |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |