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TALKING POINTS
• Statement attributable to the spokesperson of the SRSG for Afghanistan Jean Arnault on Kandahar attacks The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan expresses its shock and strongly condemns yesterday's attack that resulted in the killing of five Afghan aid workers in Kandahar province. Two others were wounded in the attack. The gravity of this incident is further compounded by the fact that the aid workers - a medical team - were on their way to help Afghans staying at an Internally Displaced Persons camp. UNAMA expresses its sympathy to the wounded and the relatives of those killed in the incident. It also expresses its conviction that the people of Afghanistan will see in this brutal attack further reason to rally against all forms of violence. • UN Country Team Afghanistan provides emergency assistance to Pakistan Following the severe earthquake on 8 October centered in Pakistan , the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator is supporting the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team in Pakistan through the UNAMA Regional Head of Office in Pakistan and the UN Country Team in Afghanistan . These activities include information sharing with participating actors in Afghanistan and direct resource assistance to Pakistan and the UNDAC coordinated emergency response. To aid coordination of nationally pledged military assets supporting national and international relief operations, UNAMA is liaising with ISAF, CFC-A, and embassy focal points. United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has released one plane to the Pakistan operation to ferry passengers to and from affected areas and is also assisting to coordinate air assets responding to the emergency. On 11 October, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) deployed an air operations coordinator to Islamabad to prepare for arrival of two UNOPS Mi-8 helicopters to assist the UNDAC effort. The helicopters have been scheduled to depart Afghanistan on 12 and 13 October. A fleet of 20 fully equipped 4x4 pickups, accompanied by UNOPS drivers, will also be deployed, with six vehicles arriving 13 October and a further nine on 17 October. The World Food Programme (WFP), as mandated lead agency for logistics and information and communications technology, is coordinating between their country offices in Pakistan and Afghanistan to deliver food aid. WFP in Afghanistan will provide 40 metric tonnes of dates donated by the Government of Qatar. The dates will be dispatched to Peshawar from the WFP warehouse in Quetta . From there, the dates will be delivered to quake affected areas. From its stocks in Afghanistan , the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is releasing 50,000 blankets, 1500 tents, 25,000 plastic sheets, 5000 lanterns, 2500 kitchen sets, and 18,160 jerry cans. Further items requested include 200,000 blankets, 25,000 plastic sheets, 2000 stoves, 10,000 tents, 500 plastic rolls, 5000 lanterns, 50,000 jerry cans, and 15,000 kitchen sets. • UNICEF: Afghan teachers to benefit from new provincial colleges UNICEF announced today that the third new provincial teacher training college opened its doors in the eastern province of Laghman . The college will provide a new learning environment for 366 trainee teachers. The college, which is part of a major investment in teacher standards led by the Ministry of Education with support from UNICEF and the Government of Japan, will provide both pre- and in-service training, covering issues such as pedagogy, teaching methodology, classroom management, and specific subjects. The college is also one of nine such facilities to be supported by the Government of Japan's Ogata initiative. Colleges in Helmand and Samangan are already functioning, while a fourth will be inaugurated on October 18 in the northern province of Takhar. • UNIFEM newsletter focuses on child marriage in Afghanistan On October 3 we told you about the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) campaign dealing with the long-standing practice of child marriages in Afghanistan . The same topic is one of four subjects featured in UNIFEM's just-released newsletter. The others include men and public harassment, former male child soldiers and protection of women. The newsletter itself aims to provide journalists, activists, humanitarian workers and policy-makers easy access to the information they would need for their gender campaigning efforts. The newsletter can be viewed on the UNIFEM Afghanistan website. * *** * 