Afghanistan, 1994

It gives me great

pleasure to convey on behalf of the Islamic State of

Afghanistan our warm felicitations to Mr. Amara Essy on

his unanimous election to the high office of President of

the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly. The

Afghan delegation assures him of its full cooperation

during his term of office.

23

I cannot fail to express the gratitude of the Afghan

delegation for the effective leadership shown by

Ambassador Samuel Insanally, the President of the General

Assembly at its forty-eighth session, in guiding the

proceedings of that session.

His Excellency Professor Burhannudin Rabbani,

President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, has instructed

me to convey to the Assembly a message he has addressed

to it. I am privileged to read out that message now:

"Your Excellencies, Heads of State and

Government participating in the forty-ninth session of

the General Assembly,

"His Excellency the Secretary-General,

"His Excellency the President of the General

Assembly,

"I convey my best wishes for the prosperity,

welfare and progress of your nations, and wish the

United Nations and the current General Assembly

session ever more success in furthering the cause of

peace and social justice.

"I had desired to personally attend the current

General Assembly session and avail myself of the

opportunity to meet and extend to you, and through

you to your Governments and peoples, the message of

the Islamic State and the Afghan nation. However,

important State engagements, particularly some

ongoing developments concerning the consolidation of

the political process in my country, prevented me

from doing so. Therefore, I have asked the Chairman

of the Afghan delegation to convey this brief message

to the General Assembly.

"This message raises the cry of a nation which,

with its unprecedented sacrifices, has played its

historic role for the cause of world peace and stability

and for the collapse of the hegemonistic and

expansionist system of the former Soviet Union, as

well as for the defence of freedom, social justice and

democratic values. A nation which suffered more

than 1.5 million sacrifices and immeasurable

destruction in all spheres of its life has contributed to

the ending of the cold war and to a considerable

diminution of the threat of nuclear confrontation. It

was the ending of global polarization that enabled East

and West to attain positive understandings that

produced assurances and trust leading to the

establishment of extensive cooperation and the

recognition of democracy as an accepted value and

concept, irrespective of any bloc interest.

"We are mindful of the fact that our friends are

equally grieved as a result of the prevailing

sufferings imposed upon our innocent nation. We

appreciate their readiness to endeavour to find an

end to those destructive events.

"I would like to make it known that as far as

the Islamic State is concerned, we have proved our

sincerity and our dedication to a peaceful settlement

of the present problems. To allow the political

process to consolidate, I have announced my

readiness to transfer power to a responsible and

legitimate authority. I have even declared that I

would not be a candidate during the transitional

period.

"It is the warmonger elements who have taken

advantage of our flexibility and conciliatory

gestures, including our unilateral cease-fire

declarations, to strengthen their political and military

positions and please their outside supporters with

moves towards the realization of their heinous

designs. These are elements whose merciless rocket

attacks on innocent civilian targets and the continued

violation of international humanitarian law are

matters of everyday life.

"The Afghan nation is astonished to continue to

see a lack of adequate enthusiasm on the part of the

world community to act effectively towards the

realization of the following legitimate aspirations:

"First, an extensive collective endeavour to provide

realistic and effective assistance to accelerate the

ongoing political process inside the country;

"Secondly, an immediate start of practical assistance

for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of war-torn

Afghanistan, as well as mine clearance, to facilitate

and speed up the repatriation of Afghan refugees;

"Thirdly, effective international measures to stop

foreign interference, particularly in the form of the

supply of weapons and ammunition to those who

continue to cause immeasurable loss of life and

destruction of property.

24

"Finding a solution to the existing problems of

Afghanistan necessitates the taking of realistic and

courageous action by the world community, the United

Nations and, in particular, the United Nations Security

Council.

"We are confident that clear and decisive action

in continuation of the support extended to us during

our 14 years of struggle would enable the Afghan

nation once again to live in peace, equality and

brotherhood, free from any form of racial, ethnic,

linguistic and religious prejudice. It is in such an

atmosphere of peace and tranquillity that Afghanistan

could play its positive and effective role in the

consolidation of regional peace and stability as a

positive element, defending democracy and social

justice.

"As history recounts, a disturbed Afghanistan has

always been a source of regional instability, just as its

stability has had a positive impact on the tranquillity

of the region.

"It is expected that those concerned with peace in

Afghanistan, especially our fraternal neighbouring

countries, will be supportive of the ongoing political

process in our homeland.

"The tenets of Islam guide us towards honesty,

justice and mutual respect among members of the

human community, irrespective of any form of

prejudice. Islam calls upon all Islamic nations to

serve the cause of the peace and security of mankind.

"The United Nations, as a source of hope for

many suffering nations around the world, can play a

decisive role in the return of peace to our shattered

and war-stricken country.

"We are appreciative of the personal efforts of

His Excellency the Secretary-General of the United

Nations and the special mission under the leadership

of His Excellency Mahmoud Mestiri. We also value

the efforts of His Excellency Mr. Hamid Algabid,

Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic

Conference, for his continuous search to put an end to

the conflict in Afghanistan. We wish them every

success in coordinating their efforts with our national

endeavours based upon realistic approaches.

"Let us hope that our future generations will

recall the efforts of our friends and those interested in

a stable and peaceful Afghanistan as the continuation

of our just struggle for the cause of peace.

"Wishing the current session of the General

Assembly every success,

"Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani,

"President of the Islamic State of

Afghanistan."

Let me begin my own statement by referring to the

miseries being inflicted upon our people and country and

by letting members of the Assembly know about some

recent political developments in Afghanistan.

Since the last session of the General Assembly three

main political developments have taken place in our

national efforts aimed at further consolidation of the

political process and in the international action in favour

of peace and stability in Afghanistan:

First, the completion of the first two rounds and the

beginning of a third round of peace efforts by the United

Nations special mission to Afghanistan;

Secondly, consideration of the situation in our

country by the Security Council;

Thirdly, major developments in the political process,

highlighted by the convening in August 1994 of a

Supreme Islamic Council in Herat and by its significant

resolutions.

Following the first round of its visit to Afghanistan

the special mission submitted its report (A/49/208) to the

Secretary-General. Before making some comments on

that report, I wish first to express the gratitude of the

Islamic State of Afghanistan to the Secretary-General,

Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his personal concern and

the attention he continues to pay to Afghanistan. We

assure him of our continued cooperation and support. I

should also like to reaffirm the commitment of the

Islamic State to support the special mission and to

cooperate with it to enable it to discharge its mandate

successfully.

Here, I should like to draw the attention of the

Assembly to some elements in the report that are of

particularly importance. Paragraph 13 states that the

mission found most of the country - at least two thirds of

it - to be at peace. I would also draw attention to the

25

realistic conclusion of the mission in paragraph 31, which

states, inter alia, that the

"mission believes that reconstruction assistance should

not be seen as separate from but integral to a lasting

political solution." (A/49/208, para. 31)

Emphasizing the interrelationship between political and

economic activities to promote peace, the report says:

"Political and economic activity are interrelated and

interconnected forces, which must be linked in

Afghanistan in ways which encourage peace." (Ibid.)

We appreciate this positive assessment of the mission.

In the light of the above conclusions of the United

Nations mission as well as its recommendations, and based

upon the critical need of the Afghan people for outside

assistance, we believe the notion of peace first and

reconstruction assistance second is no longer justifiable or

plausible. The beginning of reconstruction assistance in

those parts of the country where peace prevails will

certainly encourage and persuade those who are illegally

carrying arms to abandon their weapons for shovels and

begin rebuilding their agriculture and farms.

Since the beginning of the abortive coup of 1 January

in Kabul, the United Nations Security Council has

considered the situation in Afghanistan on three separate

occasions. This consideration, which was in conformity

with the Afghan nation’s expectations of the Security

Council, was timely and appropriate.

In its Presidential Statement dated 23 March 1994,

"The Council stress[ed] the importance that it

attaches to full compliance with international

humanitarian law in all its aspects and recall[ed] that

those who violate international humanitarian law bear

individual responsibility." (S/PRST/1994/12)

That Statement was just, positive and realistic.

Recently, another Security Council Presidential

Statement, dated 11 August 1994, was issued in reference

to certain developments including the progress report of the

United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan and the

recommendations therein. This Presidential Statement too

contains some positive, important and realistic elements, in

particular the fourth paragraph, wherein

"The Council calls on all States to take the

necessary steps to promote peace in Afghanistan, to

stop the flow of weapons to the parties, and to put

an end to this destructive conflict."

(S/PRST/1994/43)

The Statement also urges the international

community to assist Afghans in rebuilding their shattered

country.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan expressed its

appreciation to the Council for addressing an important

aspect which is the core of the problem. However, we

note with astonishment the reluctance on the part of the

Council to condemn the aggressors, who continue to

inflict inhuman atrocities on innocent civilian populations

and continue to violate international humanitarian law.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan once again states

that the present crisis in the country is not a civil war but

rather an imposed armed conflict fueled from abroad.

The Security Council’s good intentions for

Afghanistan can be realized only if the Council addresses

the actual cause of the fighting. It should not limit itself

to the mere issuance of statements, but should consider

taking some specific enforcement measures.

In this connection, it would be appropriate to refer

to resolution 48/75 H, adopted at the forty-eighth session

of the General Assembly on 16 December 1993, on

measures to curb the illicit transfer and use of

conventional weapons. The Assembly, considering the

availability of massive quantities of conventional weapons

as a contributing factor to armed conflicts around the

world and recognizing the excessive quantity of

conventional weapons in a number of countries as a

source of destabilization of their national and regional

security, invited Member States to take appropriate

enforcement measures directed at ending the illegal export

of these weapons from their territories.

The continued illegal flow of conventional weapons

to Afghanistan represents a violation of the provisions of

resolution 48/75 H by some of our neighbouring

countries. We hope that the report of the Secretary-

General to the General Assembly at the current session,

requested by that resolution, will suggest effective ways

and means of stopping the illegal flow of these weapons

and of collecting weapons illegally distributed in the

country.

26

Now I should like to turn to the recent major political

development which is a source of hope for bringing an end

to the crisis in our country:

At the beginning, it would not be inappropriate to

draw the attention of this Assembly to the fact that the

current situation in Afghanistan is a legacy of 14 years of

protracted war stemming from the invasion unleashed by

the former Soviet Union, as well as of a series of

interferences in our internal affairs over the last two years.

To eliminate the manifestations and effects of such a

protracted war, which aimed at erasing all spiritual,

historical and cultural values of Afghan society, is not

feasible in a short period of time.

Early last month on the initiative of the south and west

zone of the country and its leader and general commander,

General Mohammad Ismail Khan, a Supreme Islamic

Council convened in the ancient city of Herat, with the

participation of more than 700 delegates representing

different strata of Afghan society, including governors and

the main commanders of various provinces, religious

scholars, tribal leaders, technocrats, intellectuals and other

scholars, as well as 150 representatives of Afghans living

abroad. That important gathering was also attended by the

representative of the Office of the Secretary-General on

Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as by a number of

representatives of friendly countries. At the end, the

Supreme Islamic Council adopted an eleven-point

resolution. Due to the important contribution the realization

of the objectives of the said resolution would have in the

consolidation of peace and the political process in the

country, I should like to take the liberty of shedding light

on some of its most important points.

Given the fact that on the basis of Islamic law and

internationally accepted principles, the will of a nation is

the source of national sovereignty, the Supreme Islamic

Council decided:

- To convene a traditional Grand National

Assembly - Loya Jirgah - by the end of October 1994, in

the capital, Kabul, in order to determine the future political

leadership of the country; adopt and ratify the future

constitution; and settle other important national issues yet

pending;

- To reject and condemn any Government created

against the will of the nation and under the patronage of

outsiders;

- Strongly to condemn foreign interference in the

internal affairs of Afghanistan, calling upon the

Organization of the Islamic Conference and the United

Nations to act resolutely to put an end to that interference

on the basis of the provisions of their Charters;

- To reaffirm the fact that Afghanistan is a

distinct and indivisible political entity.

The participating members of the Supreme Islamic

Council in Herat committed themselves to standing firm

against any rejection of this national accord. The full text

of the Herat resolutions can be found in the official

document of the Security Council (S/1994/943).

It is gratifying to note that based upon those

resolutions, a preparatory commission for the Grand

Assembly convened on 30 August in Kabul and at its first

meeting unanimously elected Mawlawi Mohammad Nabi

Muhammadi, the leader of the Herakat-Inqalabi Islami

party, as its Chairman.

Given the fact that the resolutions adopted in Herat

marked a major new stage in the political evolution of our

country, with the emphasis on the broad participation of

Afghans, in that national gathering, and taking into

consideration the effective role that the special mission of

the United Nations could play in the acceleration of the

peace process, it would be relevant to say a few words

about the need to coordinate and merge these two series

of efforts into components of a unified political process.

Guided by its mandate, the United Nations Special

Mission should try to find common ground with a view

to ensuring a compromise approach that would lead to

national rapprochement among Afghans. We are fully

confident that Ambassador Mestiri will keep this in mind

as the core of his mandate. If the Afghans, in keeping

with their traditional way of solving problems, come

together in a national gathering and adopt resolutions

aimed at preserving the national sovereignty and territorial

integrity and at realizing the right of the people to decide

their own political future without foreign interference and

involvement, the United Nations will be left as a neutral

party with a complementary role.

As an additional measure, the United Nations Special

Mission could support an initiative that would avoid any

loopholes and would ensure fairness and impartiality in

the proceedings. Otherwise, attempts to create a parallel

initiative will only produce further complication and

aggravation of the situation and, consequently,

27

disappointment for our nation in the peacemaking efforts of

the United Nations.

I should like to make it clear that at no stage in its

existence has Afghanistan constituted a source of threat to

its neighbours. Nor has it allowed any third country to use

it for the advancement of that country’s political differences

with Afghanistan’s neighbours. We shall continue to act in

this manner. Today, we yearn for peace more than for

anything else, for only in an atmosphere of peace can we

strive for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of our

war-shattered country and heal the wounds and relieve the

pain and suffering resulting from 14 years of war. We

sincerely and seriously expect our neighbours to be

supportive of our national efforts to these ends.

In principle, the legitimate interests of States should be

recognized and respected by their neighbours. However, if

the expectation of a State, under the pretext of preserving

its interests, violates the supreme interest of another State -

namely, its national sovereignty and territorial integrity and

the principle that the will of a nation should govern its

destiny - this expectation becomes illegitimate.

Not too long ago the world witnessed the former

Soviet Union, as it pursued its activities in Afghanistan,

crossing the boundary of legitimate interest. As a result,

the Afghan nation, without regard for the disparity between

the military means of the two sides, stood against one of

the world’s mightiest military machines. After 10 years of

imposed war and direct confrontation with the Red Army,

the Afghan nation, with the help of the Almighty and the

sacrifice of more than 1.5 million martyrs, proved once

again that it would never allow foreign interference or

accept dictates - in particular, that it would not permit

outsiders to impose their will on Afghans.

There is no longer a foreign army of occupation in

Afghanistan, but the legacy of such a presence is still

killing our people. Land-mines constitute the most toxic

pollution facing mankind. Referred to as the hidden killers,

these do not discriminate between adults and children. If

there are 100 million of these deadly devices in 60 war-

stricken countries throughout the world, at least one fifth of

them are in Afghanistan. This cruel threat is a dreadful

impediment to the return of the refugees.

We need a great deal of help from the international

community if we are to promote and finance land-mine

awareness and clearance programmes. We appreciate

highly President Clinton’s very important proposal, voiced

here, concerning the need for international action to clear

mines in the war-stricken countries of the world.

No international effort in the war against poverty

and in support of sustained growth and development will

be effective if account if not taken of the continuing

deterioration in the socio-economic situation of the least

developed countries, identified as such by the United

Nations system. Among these countries are those that

experience frequent natural disasters and those ravaged by

war.

Specific action to deal with the particular needs and

problems of land-locked developing countries - I refer in

particular to assistance for the land-locked States of

central Asia - is an important matter that requires

discussion during this session of the General Assembly.

Afghanistan, which is itself land-locked, is the country of

transit for many central Asian States. Roads and

highways in Afghanistan are damaged as a result of the

long years of foreign armed aggression. For this reason

we shall propose that the United Nations system assist our

region by carrying out a corridor study - a study of the

transit roads in Afghanistan, which is situated in the heart

of Asia.

Transit and transport agreements between the land-

locked States members of the Economic Cooperation

Organization, including Afghanistan, and Iran and

Pakistan need to be concluded or updated to take account

of the new circumstances and the legal and technical

advice of the United Nations Conference on Trade and

Development.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan stands firm in

support of human rights throughout the world but

particularly in Afghanistan. Much to our regret, armed

conflict between various groups has resulted in violations

of human rights - especially of the right to life, which is

humanity’s most fundamental right. To prevent such

occurrences and to ensure security, the State is

determined to collect the arms currently in the possession

of certain groups. There has already been noticeable

progress in this area. Most of the armed groups realize

the need to end conflicts and to relinquish heavy

armaments. The completion of this task can be ensured

through strengthening of the national armed forces and

the national police force. Significant steps will be taken

towards this goal.

As for civil, political, economic and cultural rights,

the Islamic State of Afghanistan, in observance of Islamic

28

teaching and international responsibilities, acknowledges its

duty to eliminate all discrimination and intolerance, whether

religious, linguistic or based on gender. Afghanistan

recognizes its Islamic responsibility to ensure the family,

legal, cultural, social, political and economic rights of

women. Apart from obligations of principle and morality,

a country that lost 15 per cent of its population during the

war cannot be completely successful in the enormous task

of reconstruction without the active participation of its

female population. Therefore, it is imperative that proper

measures be taken to secure extensive participation by

Afghan women in the process of rebuilding the nation’s

economy, culture and society.

In the midst of these conflicts, it is the children who

suffer most. In Afghanistan alone there are almost 1

million war orphans. The situation of this precious and

most vulnerable category of the population deserves

particular attention. To this end, the Islamic State of

Afghanistan will submit a proposal for consideration by the

Assembly at its current session to establish an international

fund within the framework of the United Nations Children’s

Fund (UNICEF) to assist the rehabilitation of orphans of

armed conflicts. It would be worth considering a

declaration of 1996 as the international year of orphans.

We welcome the appointment of Graça Machel by the

Secretary-General as an expert to carry out the mandate of

the General Assembly to conduct a study of the

consequences of armed conflicts on children.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan, inspired by Islamic

instructions, has no hesitation in taking a firm stand against

terrorism in any shape or form. As we battle violence in

our own land, we continue to add our voice to that of the

international community in condemning terrorism the world

over.

At its last session the General Assembly discussed in

some detail the plight of disabled people. However, the

practical achievements do not seem to be adequate. From

this rostrum I remind the world community again of the

state of the nearly 2 million disabled persons in

Afghanistan, victims of a war of aggression. We will

submit proposals for securing international assistance for

the world’s disabled population in order to alleviate their

social, economic and psychological problems.

One issue worth mentioning, with both regional and

international implications, is that of narcotic drugs. The

illicit cultivation, production, stocking, smuggling and

trafficking of narcotic drugs are undeniably critical

problems facing humanity today. Regrettably, one of the

legacies of the long war in Afghanistan is the

transformation of some parts of our country into staging

areas for illicit drug activities. This phenomenon, which

is partly the result of the unavailability of alternative

productive economic activities, is a source of great

concern to us. Afghanistan, despite its scarce resources,

has taken serious measures in the struggle against illicit

drugs. We will spare no effort to combat these illegal

activities. However, we must not overlook the reality that

Afghanistan, with its extremely limited means and

massive economic and financial needs, is not in a position

effectively to accomplish this task alone. Afghanistan

needs urgent support from the international community to

intensify the struggle against drug cultivation and

trafficking.

The ongoing internal conflict in Tajikistan, a

fraternal neighbour of Afghanistan, is a matter of

continued concern to us. We hope that the brotherly

Tajik people, who are opening a new chapter in their

history after the collapse of the former Soviet Union and

their emergence as a new and independent nation, will

soon succeed in overcoming their difficulties.

One dimension of this internal conflict is the

periodic disturbances occurring on the border between

Afghanistan and Tajikistan. As a result of the conflict

inside Tajikistan, more than 100,000 Tajik refugees have

taken refuge inside Afghanistan. The Islamic State of

Afghanistan, on the basis of deep feelings of Islamic

brotherhood, humanitarian considerations and traditional

Afghan hospitality, provided shelter to those refugees.

The influx of the Tajik refugees to Afghanistan is

due to the political circumstances in their own country.

Therefore, only a political solution to the problems with

which they are faced, with the Government of Tajikistan,

will guarantee their voluntary repatriation to their

homeland.

The dispatch of armed forces of the Russian

Federation to Tajikistan, especially on the border between

Afghanistan and Tajikistan, would in our view further

aggravate the problem rather than contribute to its

solution.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan has committed

itself to supporting the peaceful initiative of the Secretary-

General and his Special Envoy to Tajikistan, Ambassador

Piriz-Ballon. As far as possible we have encouraged the

29

Tajik refugee leaders, in a spirit of conciliation, to help

United Nations efforts to succeed by agreeing to a

negotiated settlement. A chief factor in resolving the

problem will be the Tajik Government’s heeding the just

and legitimate demands of the Tajik opposition leaders.

Afghanistan, in pursuit of its previous commitments,

is desirous that its border with Tajikistan should be a

border of peace, understanding and friendship. Once again

we would like to declare that periodic clashes on the border

between Afghanistan and Tajikistan are a manifestation of

the internal conflict in Tajikistan, and not a single member

of the Afghan armed forces is, or will be, involved in any

border clashes.

As everyone knows, in Bosnia and Herzegovina the

odious and barbaric "ethnic cleansing" practised by the

Serbs of Bosnia re-emerged a few weeks ago in Banja

Luka, Bijeljina and other areas. The Security Council has

just demanded - in resolution 941 (1994) of 23 September -

that the Bosnian Serb authorities immediately cease their

campaign of "ethnic cleansing". This demand of the

Security Council is bound to be disregarded and denied by

the Bosnian Serb criminals. It is therefore imperative that

the Security Council should decide to mandate a United

Nations presence and coercive measures for the protection

of the Bosnian communities threatened by further "ethnic

cleansing". Otherwise, the United Nations and the five-

Power Contact Group will lose all credibility.

Another dangerous area calls for the immediate

attention of the Organization if we want to save the whole

region from catastrophe. The grave situation in Kosovo,

aggravated by the daily massive repression committed by

the Serbian authorities against 2 million ethnic Albanians,

and referred to as a time-bomb, remains explosive. We

also remind the Assembly of human rights violations in

Sandjak.

It is our view that a special United Nations mission

should assess war damage resulting from the acts of armed

aggression committed by the Bosnian Serbs. The

aggressors must know that they will have to pay war

reparations to those who are their victims. This will remind

aggressors always to think twice before firing and

destroying.

On the basis of its common historical ties with the

people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially common

religious ties with its Muslim population, the Islamic State

of Afghanistan is deeply concerned at the exacerbation of

the situation in that territory. The sufferings of the Muslim

people of Kashmir add to our grief. We continue to

believe that the question of Kashmir, which has always

been one of the prime concerns of the Muslim Umma,

can find a lasting solution through peaceful means in an

atmosphere of trust, understanding and good-

neighbourliness between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

and the Republic of India, a solution on the basis of the

relevant resolutions of the United Nations and

internationally accepted principles on the settlement of

disputes.

During these crucial moments of the history of the

Palestinian people, we reiterate the responsibility of the

international community to support the inalienable

national rights of the Palestinians, including their right to

return to their homeland, and the right to

self-determination, encompassing the right to their own

independent State on their national soil, with Al-Quds

al-Sharif as its capital. The peace process has to be

aimed at the full implementation of Security Council

resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) guaranteeing the

full withdrawal of occupying forces from all the occupied

Palestinian territories.

The Afghan nation, like other Islamic nations,

considers the occupation of the site of one of the most

sacred shrines of Islam, in Al-Quds, by authorities lacking

awareness of its sacred Islamic character, as contempt for

the most basic spiritual rights of the Islamic community

all over the world.

In conclusion, I wish to draw the attention of this

world gathering to the fact that, as a result of heavy

rocket attacks on Kabul by the opposition, as well as their

blocking of the roads to Kabul, the capital has been

without running water, electricity or heating for most of

the time since last January. Also, a shortage of food

supplies seems to be threatening the city’s most

vulnerable inhabitants who are suffering. It has been

predicted that the coming winter will be a harsh one.

As the International Committee of the Red Cross

(ICRC) fears, a large-scale human disaster may be

impossible to avert. We request the donor community to

respond positively and urgently to the United Nations

appeal for winter emergency assistance to the city of

Kabul.