The first is one about an ongoing National Livestock Vaccination Campaign that is targeting more than five million farm animals in Afghanistan. The campaign, launched jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and the Food and Agriculture Organization (with support from non governmental organizations has so far distributed some 10 million doses of vaccines to almost 30 provinces. These vaccines are being used to protect animals against a number of important endemic animal diseases. The FAO is providing the vaccines at lower cost to poor farmers and nomads who cannot afford to pay the full price. (More details are available in a press release at the back of the room.)

The other note we have for you is about a Rabies Control Programme that has been taking place in major Afghan cities and aims to vaccinate more than 150,000 dogs. As you know, Rabies is a fatal disease in humans and warm blooded animals, which has been endemic in Afghanistan for many years. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that rabid animals bite approximately 400 people throughout the country every month. The Ministries of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Public Health, as well as the WHO and FAO, are all working closely together on the project to protect people from this fatal disease, which is funded by Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. (More details are available in a press release at the back of the room.)

The delivery of emergency winter supplies supported by the Afghan government is continuing for 3,350 internally displaced families in Spin Boldak, following the deaths of 10 children due to the sudden and unusual drop in temperatures last weekend. Each family has now received quilts and blankets, and distribution of shoes and clothes are underway. Deputy minister of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, Mr. Ahadi, has gone down from Kabul to assess the situation in the south.

Twelve trucks from Herat are expected to reach Kandahar today carrying 1,800 IOM family kits (consisting of blankets, clothes, boots, socks, plastic sheeting, soap and kitchen set). Trucks with 56,000 litres of kerosene have departed Termez, Uzbekistan, heading down south today. These supplies are in addition to aid trucks that arrived earlier this week carrying 28,500 blankets and 3,500 quilts from Kabul, Kandahar and Quetta.

According to a health expert from the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, who spoke extensively with the families of the victims, the severe temperature drop to -15 degrees Friday evening seems to have been the primary cause of the deaths. Reportedly, this region of Afghanistan rarely experiences sub-zero temperatures even during the height of winter. The on-going emergency delivery should provide protection against another cold spell.

According to the families who discovered the state of their children in the morning, all ten children had been vaccinated, and only two of them, including one 10 year-old, had symptoms of cold. Nine of them were aged two years or below.

The health consultant working for both UNHCR and UNICEF will continue-on to assess the situation in other IDP settlements in the south (Panjwai, Maiwand and Kandahar), supported by staff from UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, the Minitry of Refugees and Repatriation and the Ministry of Reconstruction and Rural Development. UNICEF is sending also a nutritionist to Kandahar to join this team.

Separately, the delivery of winter supplies continues also for internally displaced families in other settlements in the south. The delivery of winter packages consisting of a stove, kerosene and blankets/quilts will begin tomorrow for 9,480 families in Panjwai settlement (Kandahar province) and for 1,800 families in Lashkargah (Helmund province). In Mukhtar camp (Helmund province) the delivery of 200 tents, quilts, sweaters and shoes is on-going for 4,200 families. Most of the 206 families in Dilaram (Nimroz) have now received the winter packages.

The winter aid supplies are put together between various agencies based on the Afghan government's winter plan.

Members of the media are invited to attend the launch, which will happen at 2PM (14.00) in the Conference Room Estaqlal High School in Kabul.

Each year, the UNICEF report makes recommendations for action to improve the situation of children, and the theme for the latest report is "Child Participation." Befittingly, the report's release today in Kabul comes at the end of a three-day Children's Consultation Workshop, conducted by Save the Children-Sweden with support from UNICEF and other child-focused agencies that comprise the Global Movement for Children (GMC) Afghanistan Working Group.

Today's launch will feature remarks by senior representatives of the Transitional Authority and UNICEF, as well as by two child participants from the workshop who will present the outcome of their discussions held this week.

The overarching goal of the workshop has been to ensure that the children's hopes about their country and its future find a meaningful mechanism for expression and action, with the aim that what is discussed can become the basis for activities initiated and carried out at the community level.

In cooperation with local authorities, schools and NGOs, the GMC Working Group has helped organize Children's Consultations in Kabul, Herat, and Mazar, with plans for eight more in other parts of Afghanistan in the coming year-a development following the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children this past May. In all, some 660 children and young people are involved in the consultations which also involve a half-day session on children's rights for attending adults (authorities, parents, teachers, media).

UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy, speaking yesterday during the global launch of The State of the World's Children 2003, said giving young people a constructive role to participate in issues affecting them is essential to a more cohesive world. "Enabling children and adolescents to participate constructively in their communities and nations is crucial to nurturing their inherent optimism and preparing them for a constructive and meaningful adulthood," she said.

Spokesman: Thank you very much Eddie. Any questions to either Etienne from FAO, Laura from UNDP, Eddie Maki or myself, before we go to our special guest Nigel Fisher.

Q: What is the UN position on the Joint Regional Teams by the Coalition forces?

Spokesman: We think that any initiative that aims at contributing to the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts is of course welcome. In this particular case we do not have all the details yet and I think even the American have not yet concluded all the details on how they are going to do it. We do have some questions, which we have shared with them, so we do not have the full picture yet on this project.

Q: But NGO's have concern that it is bluring of lines between the humanitarian workers and military personnel.

Spokesman: That's a concern. You know that the in the past you had this situation here in Afghanistan. You remember that the NGO's were concerned that the military personnel in civilian clothes carrying weapons were doing humanitarian like work. This was discussed with those military groups and they agreed to wear uniforms that in that particular case to make a clear distinction.

Q: Will UN allow their personnel to work alongside the proposed US civil military initiative?

Spokesman: We do not quite have a clear picture how they intend to work and exactly what kinds of projects they intend to do. These are some of the questions that we have raised.

Q: When will you know about the projects? They say they will be in Gardez in one month.

Spokesman: But I think you should also understand that they are taking Gardez as a pilot project. So, I think we should all look at this as an ongoing situation and that they are also trying to clarify how to do it.