Citing security risks, UN pulling out some foreign staff in Afghanistan
By APMonday, June 21, 2010
UN pulling out some foreign staff in Afghanistan
UNITED NATIONS — U.N. officials said Monday they have begun relocating some of their 300 foreign staff in Afghanistan to other locations because of worries about rising violence.
A report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon over the weekend urged the relocations but said the U.N. “foresaw no significant reduction in the actual number of substantive staff members in Afghanistan.”
The relocations would likely affect no more than a few dozen of those 300 internationally hired staff.
U.N. associate spokesman Farhan Haq told The Associated Press the plan is to move mainly clerical and administrative staff, along with anyone else whose job does not absolutely require being in the country.
Those people are starting to be relocated to Kuwait or other U.N. offices over the next three months.
“We’re trying to maintain our core functions while maintaining staff security,” he said.
The U.N. has 1,500 staff in Afghanistan of which about 80 percent is locally hired, Haq said.
