To:
From: John McAuliff <jmcauliff@igc.org>
Subject: humanitarian dimensions of the war
Following are several items which caught my attention from
the World Council of Churches weekly posting on the war in Afghanistan.
At the end is subscription information if you want to get the full
postings directly.
John
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Peter Widerud, international director of the Church of
Sweden, called for an end to the bombing of Afghanistan. He also
emphasized the need to bring those responsible for the terrorist acts to
justice, in order to uphold the principle of individual responsibility as well
as avoiding the risk of demonizing whole groups, peoples or cultures.
Speaking at a rally for peace on 24 October, UN Day, Mr Weiderud put the issue
of terrorism in the broader context of the on-going struggle for peace and
justice, saying that we can no longer accept an economic world order where, for
example, the three richest individuals are wealthier than the 48 poorest
nations. He emphasized that humanitarian assistance must stay free and
neutral in relation to the conduct of the war so that it can best meet the needs
of the most vulnerable people. Available in Swedish at: http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/behindthenews/us119.html
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An update on the situation inside Afghanistan issued on 6
November by Action by Churches Together (ACT) after contact with local
Afghan partners in Pakistan :
"Winter is fast approaching in Afghanistan. The first
snow has already fallen in Chegcheran, in the central province of Ghor.
Eyewitness reports from within the Afghan capital Kabul say that about 70 % of
the population - those who have no relatives elsewhere - are still in
town. People afraid of the bombing are however moving from one part of the city
to the other, trying to find a safe place. It is said that the food situation
in Kabul has deteriorated.
Many of the people who have left the city have
gone to rural areas and are now living in the villages. People have taken in
the internally displaced (IDPs). It is expected that the temperatures all
over Afghanistan will soon drop below zero. People are remaining in their homes
as it is extremely difficult to find shelter in the freezing conditions. ACT
International's local Afghan partners are encouraging people to stay in their
houses and are trying to provide them with enough food to get through the
winter.
It is estimated that the majority of people
only have food left to last them another 15 or 20 days. ACT's local Afghan
partners say that food supplies coming into Afghanistan are not sufficient.
Prices for diesel and petrol are skyrocketing.
Afghans depend on a supply of diesel as most people use it for their stoves.
ACT members Church World Service (CWS),
Christian Aid (CA) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) are distributing food,
shelter and clothes to the needy people in Afghanistan concentrating on the
mountainous areas which might soon be cut soon off once winter starts in
earnest."
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The Pentagon says it is changing the color of the food aid
packages being dropped over Afghanistan because of fears they could be confused
with unexploded cluster bombs. However, with thousands of packages already in
the pipeline, it would be some time before the new ration packs were available
to be airdropped.
http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/11/01/ret.afghan.fooddrops/index.html
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