UN not withdrawing from Afghanistan: Ban

“Let me be crystal clear we are not evacuating,we will not,cannot and must not be deterred. our work will continue,” he said.

“I was able to see for myself that the determination and commitment of our staff in Afghanistan remains strong,” he said yesterday,speaking of his recent trip following the attack on the UN workers in Kabul.

International staff members are being relocated to safer sites within Afghanistan with 200 going to other duty stations within the region. No critical staff is being removed,according to the UN.

The attack on the UN personnel at the guest house in Kabul by Taliban militants killed five and wounded nine.

In an earlier attack,the UN lost five members in a terrorist attack against the World Food Program office in Islamabad.

Following the attack,Ban has appealed both to the Security Council and General Assembly to allocate more resources to better protect UN workers in and outside of Kabul.

Next week,Ban will return to the Assembly with specific proposals for strengthening the protection of UN workers,which includes — 50 millions dollars for more effective screening into UN facilities and setting up a fund with an initial amount of 10 million to help victims and their families.

The UN chief also noted that during his visit to Afghanistan he spoke to President Hamid Karzai and General Stanley McCHrystal,commander of the US troops and ISAF,about ensuring better protection for UN workers.

“President Karzai assured me that he would dedicate substantial number of Afghan national police for the purpose of ensuring the safety and security of the premises and the UN staff,” Ban said.

“I also discussed this matter with General McChrystal and he also assured me that he will do his best,” he said.

Recalling the massive fraud in the recent Afghan elections,Ban underlined that the international community will be scrutinising Karzai commitment to taking bold steps to combat corruption and good governance.

Meanwhile,in a press statement issued by the Security Council,the 15-member body acknowledged the conclusion of the electoral process,and called on the “Afghan government to effectively address the issues facing the country,including security,good governance and the fight against corruption and the cross-cutting issue of counter-narcotics.”