New UN office aims to boost development in southern Afghanistan
2 July 2008 - The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced plans to scale up its efforts to bring
development and reconstruction to the country's southern region by opening a new office in Tirin Kot, the capital of
Uruzgan province.
"The opening of our new office will be in direct support of the people of Uruzgan, aid agencies and other civil society
organizations that want to deliver more development assistance in this vital province of southern Afghanistan," said Kai
Eide, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA.
Mr. Eide said that the challenges of bringing development assistance to Uruzgan - which, along with Helmand and
Kandahar, is among the most strife-torn areas of the country - are "vast, but not insurmountable.
"Making progress will require the concerted and sustained effort of the central and provincial government and the donor
community," he added.
In addition to ensuring that more development reaches the people of Uruzgan, the new office will also play a key role in
helping local communities, coordinating humanitarian efforts, supporting local government institutions to strengthen
good governance and the rule of law, and monitor human rights.
UNAMA has 17 other offices located in Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz, Herat, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Bamiyan, Kabul, Gardez, Ghor,
Kunar, Khost, Nimroz, Badghis, Maimana, Faizabad, Daikundi and Zabul.
ENDS