The UN's top humanitarian official spoke Monday of the need to grasp a slim "window of opportunity" and flood Afghanistan with aid supplies before the onset of winter.
UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Kenzo Oshima also warned Afghanistan's ruling Taliban that interference with UN operations was "unacceptable" and foreign UN staff would not return to the country until their security could be guaranteed.
"We hope over the next few weeks -- and the window of opportunity is not very large -- to send as much aid as possible to as large an area as possible, as efficiently and effectively as possible," Oshima told reporters.
"The time available to us is limited," Oshima said, stressing that relief operations would be severely disrupted by the onset of winter in mid-November.
His remarks came just hours after the first humanitarian aid sent into Afghanistan since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States arrived in Kabul.
Earlier Monday, Oshima met with the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef and raised the issue of Taliban occupation of certain UN offices in Afghanistan and restrictions imposed on their communications with the outside world.
"I pointed out that this was unacceptable," Oshima said.
"For the return of international UN staff... I pointed to the need for guarantees for the security of personnel and the need to ensure communications ... and ways and means to ensure the aid provided reaches the population intended."
All aid shipments were stopped and foreign aid workers pulled out of Afghanistan after the kamikaze plane attacks on Washington and New York.
Oshima said the ambassador's response had been positive. "But he made it clear to me that he needs to refer back to his own authorities” -- ISLAMABAD (AFP)
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