Three more United Nations foreign staff left Kabul Tuesday amid mounting concern over a potentially violent backlash against more sanctions, UN officials said.
They left this morning to Islamabad on a regular UN flight, bringing to eight the number of UN expatriates moved to neighboring Pakistan in the past three days, witnesses and officials said.
"Our security people tell them to leave. They themselves are not willing to go," one UN official said, declining to be identified. Five UN foreign staff flew to Pakistan on Sunday.
UN spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker told AFP on Monday they were leaving due to security concerns after Washington and Moscow last week asked the Security Council to impose tighter sanctions against the Islamic militia.
She said UN operations, which are vital to millions of people in this drought and war-ravaged country, were however continuing normally.
The Office of the United Nations Coordinator for Afghanistan said relief agencies could be forced to evacuate if violent protests erupted, as they did in November last year when limited aviation and financial curbs were imposed.
The Taliban, blamed for fostering Islamic extremism and harboring indicted terrorist Osama bin Laden, have promised to ensure security but warned they may not be able to control a widespread outburst against the UN.
"If additional sanctions are enacted it is likely that the risk to UN personnel, premises and property might increase," the UN said in a statement Monday.
"If this were to be the case, the United Nations would be compelled to reduce the numbers of staff in the field, or even to evacuate international staff."
It said more sanctions would "hinder the ability of aid agencies to provide life-saving support ... and further affect the human rights of Afghans."
The proposed new curbs include an arms embargo on the Taliban, a travel ban against their officials and the closure of their foreign offices -- KABUL (AFP)
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