NGOs worried about security in north

Southern Afghanistan has long been a no-go zone for most NGOs, but concerns are now also being raised about the deteriorating security situation in the north: Insurgency-related activities and violent crime have reportedly increased in Kunduz, Balkh and Baghlan provinces previously considered peaceful.



“We’re very concerned about the safety and security of our staff in Kunduz and other northern provinces,” Anders Fänge, director of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA), told IRIN.



The SCA, which has been running health, education, agriculture and rural development projects since 1982 and had a budget in 2009 of over US$30 million, has about 5,000 staff in Afghanistan. All bar 15 are locals.



Since 2006 local negotiators have helped release 16 SCA local staff from abductors, according to Fänge. However, negotiations for the reopening of an SCA-backed girls’ school in the Khanabad District of Kunduz, closed by insurgents, have failed.



SCA’s concerns are shared by at least two other NGOs which run projects in the north.



“Whilst the insecurity is worsening the NGOs have no mitigating resources except suspending their activities in insecure areas,” Dawran Faizan, a programme manager for Netherlands-based HealthNet International, told IRIN.



Dan McNorton, a spokesman for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said “the UN shares” the concerns of NGOs about insecurity but added that UN agencies were working as normal in the north.

Photo: Masoud Popalzai/IRIN

NGOs fear armed escorts will make them legitimate targets for anti-government elements

Increasing violence



Armed violence has increased since the collapse of the Taliban regime in 2001 and civilian Afghans have increasingly been on the receiving end.



From January to August 2009 UNAMA recorded at least 1,500 civilian deaths - 68 percent attributed to anti-government elements and 23 percent to pro-government forces, according to a report by the UN Secretary-General.



“Security incidents targeting humanitarian activities increased significantly. Humanitarian workers continued to be subject to intimidation, robberies, abduction and assassination,” said the report entitled The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security, submitted to the Security Council on 22 September.



Large swathes of Afghanistan have been inaccessible to the UN and most other international aid agencies because of insecurity and threats to aid workers. From January to 15 September 2009 at least 99 security incidents involving NGOs had been reported in 27 of the country’s 34 provinces, according to the Afghanistan NGOs Safety Office.



Until recently northern Afghanistan was considered largely peaceful and suitable for development projects. However, Afghan and international military officials say insurgent activities have now spread into the northern provinces.



A security incident which led to airstrikes by NATO forces on a district in Kunduz Province on 4 September reportedly caused dozens of civilian deaths.



Some NGOs said they had been advised to avoid entering Kunduz and Baghlan provinces for security reasons.



Insecurity has been exacerbated by a political crisis stemming from election-related controversies. The 20 August presidential election has been marred by serious allegations of mostly state-sponsored rigging.



“The level of alleged electoral irregularities has generated significant political turbulence leading to fears of a return to violence when election results are announced,” the Secretary-General’s report said.



ad/cb