Top UN envoy warns deadly Afghan attacks on increase as situation worsens
14 October 2008 – The number of violent attacks in Afghanistan in the last few months has been the highest since 2002 as
the insurgency spreads beyond the south and east of the country, the top United Nations envoy told the Security Council
today.
As the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, the insurgency has now extended to provinces around Kabul, attacks have
become more deadly and there have been more attacks against humanitarian targets, Kai Eide, Special Representative of
the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, informed the Council.
He warned that although a decrease in attacks after Ramadan had allowed a polio vaccination campaign to take place, the
current spike indicated that there would be no recurrence of the usual winter lull in fighting this year.
Noting that not all is “doom and gloom” Mr. Eide told the press: “When President [Hamid] Karzai carries out a cabinet
reshuffle which demonstrates a desire to attack key issues that have so far not been handled appropriately, that makes
me optimistic.”
Mr. Eide, who is also the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), stressed that there were other
positive developments which gave him cause for cautious optimism, such as a more constructive relationship between
Afghanistan and Pakistan on the basis of a shared threat from insurgents.
He said that further reasons for hope were the political changes in Afghanistan, including the strengthening of the
Ministry of the Interior and the police sector, changes in the Ministry of Agriculture that could help avoid food
shortages and stimulate economic growth, as well as reductions in illicit drug production.
If these more positive trends could be built on, the current negative atmosphere could be replaced by one of greater
confidence, which was important both for the Afghan population and donors, he told the Council meeting.
ENDS