Turkey calls for further humanitarian aid

Turkish foreign ministry delegation head and coordinator for Afghanistan, Aydemir Erman, told IRIN on Wednesday that the situation for IDPs in northern Afghanistan was particularly “distressing” and called for further assistance from the international community. During his visit to camps near the border with Tajikistan between 12-19 October, Erman said conditions in his opinion had worsened: “I think the international community must pay more attention to the humanitarian dimension of this problem.” Erman made special reference to the plight of women and girls in all of Afghanistan, but noted a fundamental difference between Taliban and northern alliance-held areas. “In the north the women work and the girls go to school. The Rabbani government is doing everything it can under extremely difficult conditions, but needs help,” he said.