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UN to pull out foreign staff from Afghanistan

* 600 staff members to be relocated
* No additional foreign support unless Kabul cracks down on corruption, initiates reform, mission chief warns Karzai

KABUL: The United Nations on Thursday said it would temporarily evacuate hundreds of its international staff from Afghanistan due to deteriorating security, a sharp blow for Western efforts to stabilise the country.

Spokesman Aleem Siddique said the UN would relocate about 600 of its roughly 1,100 international staff, with some being moved to safer sites within Afghanistan and the rest withdrawn from the country temporarily.

The UN said the evacuation would not disrupt its operations.

“We remain committed to ensuring that all of our programmes and activities continue. But obviously following last week’s events, we really do need to have a look at how we can ensure that our staff can continue those programmes and activities, but at the same time we can protect their safety,” Siddique said. He was referring to last week’s attack when Taliban, hiding explosive vests under police uniforms, entered a guesthouse used by UN staff, killing five foreigners and prompting a security review by many of the international agencies in the country.

“The UN has been in Afghanistan for half a century and we are not about to leave now. The Afghan people want us to stay.”

Warning: Head of the UN mission, Kai Eide, also issued a warning to Karzai that Afghanistan could no longer count on international support unless he cracked down on corruption and initiated reforms, AP reported.

Eide said the UN was concerned about the country’s deteriorating situation and the government’s failure to stamp out corruption.

Many of Kabul’s supporters, including the US, have urged Karzai to implement political reforms to regain credibility after the elections.

“I do believe it’s understood that serious reforms are needed and they will come as a new government is formed,” Eide said.

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