Afghanistan: seeking safety in Kabul

Almost 8,000 inhabitants of several districts south of the Afghan capital have left their homes as the front line between Taliban and government forces moved closer, with occasional artillery fire wreaking havoc in civilian areas. The Kabul municipal authorities have announced that some 1,800 internally displaced families have registered as such and have found shelter with friends and relatives. According to ICRC relief delegate Philippe Cattier, " Kabul's residents are already in dire straits because of the war without having to help others who are seeking refuge there, and so the municipal authorities themselves are doing their best to help these people " . The ICRC delegation in Kabul, together with the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS), is actively trying to find ways of easing this additional burden on a war-torn city.

On the Kabul plateau, as elsewhere in the region, winter is fast approaching.  While ARCS workers are busy registering people fleeing the fighting, ICRC delegates are setting up supply lines to provide them with food and other aid. The relief operation has, however, run into trouble, since 13 lorries carrying some 200 tons of wheat flour are stranded in a warehouse in Charasyab, a town 10 km south-east of Kabul that is currently under Taliban control. The continuing fighting has made it impossible for this convoy to get through.