permaculture

["Jo Tenner" <jotenner@mpx.com.au>]

If you would like some accurate, non-sensationalist info on the situation in
Afghanistan and bordering countries visit Relief web
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf which is the site of the OCHA(office for
the coordination of humanitarian aid. Here you will see reports by all the
major agencies, who share this info with each other and the broader
community in an attempt to facilitate better coordination in practise.
Reading between the lines you get a pretty good idea of what it is like on
the ground especially from the perspective of trying to provide assistance
from the outside of the country.

I have included an example of one of the news items below, much more is
available on site.

Jo Tenner
PO Box 135
Kallista VIC 3791
Australia


Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Date: 12 Oct 2001

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UNHCR Afghanistan humanitarian update No. 18

At a Glance:
Another day lost in Pakistan preparations
Seventh relief flight for UNHCR operation lands in Pakistan

Another Day Lost in Pakistan Preparations
UNHCR Friday spent its fifth day unable to resume crucial preparations in
Pakistan for a possible influx of Afghans. Because of the ongoing fragile
security situation and demonstrations in Pakistan, international staff in
Peshawar and Quetta were once again unable to go to the field, proceed with
work on identifying and preparing camp sites or monitor border crossings.

Some local production of relief items in Pakistan was also reportedly
hindered Friday due to the unrest around the country. UNHCR has placed
orders locally for tents, blankets, jerry cans and other relief supplies
that will be needed to care for new Afghan arrivals.

Relief Flights

A relief flight carrying 10,000 plastic sheets and registration materials
arrived Friday in Peshawar, Pakistan. The supplies were offloaded and
brought to a UNHCR warehouse by local contractors, as UNHCR staff movements
remained restricted in the region.

The flight was the seventh relief flight for UNHCR's operation to countries
neighboring Afghanistan since the airlift began on September 29. Including
Friday's delivery, five flights have arrived in Pakistan -- three UNHCR
flights, one flight provided by the United Kingdom's Department of Foreign
and International Development (DFID) and one airlift involving six
planeloads of aid from Japan. Two flights, both from DFID, have been
completed to Iran.

In all, the flights to date have brought into the region 1,751 tents, 21,200
blankets, 19,695 individual plastic sheets and 548 rolls of plastic
sheeting, as well as jerry cans, sleeping mats, telecommunications and
computer equipment, canvas tarpaulins and rope.

Additional flights to Iran and Pakistan, carrying blankets and large tent
structures known as Rubbhalls, are planned for the weekend.

Copyright 2001 UNHCR. All Rights Reserved.