Food, medicine lacking in Afghan assault zone
KABUL — People living on the front line of a major US-led offensive against Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan are trapped in their homes with little access to food and health…
KABUL — People living on the front line of a major US-led offensive against Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan are trapped in their homes with little access to food and health care, rights groups say.Hundreds more who fled the area before fighting began over a week ago are receiving little help in harsh winter conditions, they add."We are seriously worried about the safety of civilians, especially in the Marjah area," said Ajmal Samadi, head of the independent group Afghan Rights Monitor (ARM)."People who are ill cannot get to hospitals, and others cannot bring them medicines. They cannot get food, or even go outside to look after their farms."He added that food prices were rising due to the assault and people with medical needs -- from war wounds to pregnancy -- were largely unable to get treatment.The assault on the Marjah and Nad Ali districts of Helmand province launched on February 13 is being held up by snipers and innumerable crude bombs planted by Taliban fighters, commanders say.The aim of the operation, dubbed Mushtarak (Together), is to drive Taliban from the area in the central Helmand River valley, where they have held sway with drug traffickers for at least two years.The Afghan government aims firstly to re-establish sovereignty, then provide security, clinics, schools and jobs.Mushtarak is a test of US President Barack Obama's new counter-insurgency strategy, aimed at winning the trust of the population and neutralising the Taliban. Related article: Two NATO troops killed in AfghanistanNATO and Afghan leaders have said they hatched the assault in close cooperation with each other so the military phase can be immediately followed by the establishment of civil administration and services.But Norine MacDonald, president of London-based think tank the International Council for Security and Development, which has an office in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, said planners had paid little regard to civilian well-being."The forward planning we heard so much about did not include ensuring
last modification 2010-02-21 09:00:15
Add comment