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UN to evacuate Afghanistan staff UN to relocate Afghanistan staff
(34 minutes later)
The United Nations says it is to temporarily move 600 "non-essential" international staff from Afghanistan. The UN says it is to temporarily relocate 600 of its "non-essential" foreign staff in Afghanistan.
This would allow measures to bolster security at UN accommodation. The staff would then return to resume work in the country, the statement added. This would allow measures to bolster security at UN accommodation. They would then return to resume work in the country, the statement added.
The UN has 1,300 international staff based in Afghanistan. The move follows last week's attack when Taliban suicide bombers killed five UN workers and three Afghans when at a hostel in the capital, Kabul.
Last week, Taliban suicide bombers killed five UN workers and three Afghans when they stormed a hostel in the Afghan capital, Kabul. The UN has up to 1,300 international staff based in Afghanistan.
The attack on the private Bekhtar guesthouse in the Shar-i-Naw district was the deadliest on the United Nations in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. The dawn attack on the private Bekhtar guesthouse in the Shar-i-Naw district was the deadliest on the UN in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.
'Minimum disruption''Minimum disruption'
"The United Nations is fully committed to helping all of Afghanistan's people, as it has been for more than half a century," the UN said in a statement. The head of the UN's Afghan mission, Kai Eide, said some of the staff - mostly "non-frontline" personnel - would be moved within the country, some others outside.
"Every effort will be made to minimize disruption to our activities while these additional security steps are being taken." In a Kabul news conference on Thursday, he denied it was an evacuation.
The temporary relocation of staff out of Afghanistan is likely to take three to four weeks, the UN spokesman in Kabul said. The move will not affect key UN work such as aid delivery as this is done by local Afghan staff, he added. The UN said earlier in a statement: "Every effort will be made to minimise disruption to our activities while these additional security steps are being taken."
The temporary relocation of staff was likely to take three to four weeks, a UN spokesman in Kabul said.
The move would not affect key UN work such as aid delivery, as this was done by local Afghan staff, he added.
The 600 staff represent 12% of the total UN workforce - international and local staff - in Afghanistan, the BBC's Richard Coleburn in Kabul says.The 600 staff represent 12% of the total UN workforce - international and local staff - in Afghanistan, the BBC's Richard Coleburn in Kabul says.
The staff being withdrawn come from all UN agencies and from different Afghan cities. The personnel being withdrawn come from all UN agencies and different Afghan cities.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned last week's attack as "shocking and shameless" and pledged to review security procedures in Afghanistan and take all necessary measures to protect its staff there. UN employees tried to flee as three Taliban militants with suicide vests, grenades and machine guns stormed the hostel.
The attack on the guesthouse, which is used by the UN and other international organisations, happened just before 0600 (0130 GMT). The three gunmen were shot dead.
Three Taliban militants with suicide vests, grenades and machine guns carried out the assault. The guesthouse - which was used by the UN and other international organisations - was gutted by fire.
There was gunfire and an explosion outside the guesthouse as UN employees tried to flee. The building was gutted by fire.
The three gunmen were shot dead and the incident ended at about 0830 local time.
Are you in Afghanistan? Do you work for the UN and are you being moved? What do you think of the UN's decision? How can the security situation in the country be improved?Please send us your comments using the form below.Are you in Afghanistan? Do you work for the UN and are you being moved? What do you think of the UN's decision? How can the security situation in the country be improved?Please send us your comments using the form below.
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