ICRC to continue relief activities

Despite Tuesday’s UN Security Council decision to impose strict new sanctions against the ruling Taliban movement in Afghanistan, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced on Wednesday it would continue its operations in the country following a thorough evaluation of security concerns there. Working in close cooperation with its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners, the ICRC supports basic services throughout the Afghanistan, including medical facilities and sanitation and water-supply systems. It also helps people to survive by improving agricultural production and assisting vulnerable groups, such as those who have had to flee their homes because of fighting. The ICRC’s prosthetic centre provides services for countless disabled people, many of whom are victims of mine explosions. The organisation also strives to protect persons detained in connection with the conflict, paying particular attention to the needs of imprisoned women and minors, the ICRC statement said. There are about 60 expatriate and over 1,000 locally hired staff working for the ICRC out of seven offices throughout the country.