United Nations Radio

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is relocating part of its staff in light of last week's attack on a guest house in Kabul in which five UN staff members were killed and nine injured.

UNAMA says the move is part of additional steps to reduce risks to its national and international staff serving in Afghanistan.

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It adds that every effort will be made to minimize disruption to its activities while these additional steps are being taken.

UNAMA spokesman, Aleem Siddique says this will affect around 12 per cent of the UN staff in Afghanistan.

"Each UN agency will be looking at its own staffing and looking at those staff that perhaps operate from separate locations and those staff that are critical for the continuation of programmes. And that's the decision that each agency will be making over the coming days and we will be supporting their efforts to ensure that they can continue their programmes while ensuring the safety and welfare of our all staff here."

The UN mission in Afghanistan says once security measures are in place, it hopes to be able to return the staff to their original locations.

It stresses that the United Nations is fully committed to helping all of Afghanistan's people as it has been for more than half a century.

Gail Walker, United Nations Radio
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