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NGOs call for the respect
PRESS RELEASE, Kabul, September 1, 2004
The deliberate confusion of military and humanitarian actors in Afghanistan is seriously hampering the ability of NGOs to deliver aid to all communities in need.
The past few weeks and months have seen a dramatic increase in the number of violent assaults and threats to humanitarian personnel and the Afghan population.
By signing this declaration, we the undersigned organisations want to express our growing anger and frustration at being threatened, attacked and confused with military actors.
Both the Afghans and expatriates working for humanitarian NGOs, aim to work in partnership with the people of Afghanistan. Be it in education, health, agriculture, human rights or development, we strive to help lessen the daily suffering that still affects too many people, and we work towards long term solutions for Afghanistan and her people.
Our security in Afghanistan is primarily based on the acceptance of the work we do by the communities we serve. However, the relationship with these communities, which has been built over many years of humanitarian action in Afghanistan, remains fragile. Sadly, the credibility and trust built over the years is now eroding rapidly.
In part, this is due to the military and political stakeholders deliberately confusing humanitarian and military actors. This misleading behaviour damages our image in the eyes of the Afghan population, in turn fuelling the resentment, and only serving to augment the tension and danger faced by our national and expatriate staff.
At the heart of our work are basic humanitarian principles that have guided us across the world and throughout countless conflicts. We demand that the belligerents and political parties to the conflict respect our:
Neutrality - we do not promote partisan national or international political agendas. We do not choose sides between parties to a conflict. We do not accept funding from or work in joint projects with any military organization.
Impartiality - we provide aid on the basis of need alone. We provide support regardless of the race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or nationality and political affiliation of the recipients and without adverse distinction of any kind. We do not tie the promise, delivery or distribution of humanitarian assistance to the embracing or acceptance of a particular political or religious creed.
These principles allow our organisations to operate free from all political and military powers. Today, our neutrality has been compromised. We are now both directly targeted and confused for military or political actors.
By signing this declaration, we wish to reaffirm and demonstrate that we stand firm to continue supporting and addressing the needs of the Afghan communities we work with. We refuse to accept the current level of violence targeted against humanitarian actors.
AFGHAN AMPUTEE BICYCLES FOR REHABILITATION AND RECREATION (AABRAR)
Contact person: Dr BASIR 070.285.470/070.284.986
ACTION AID
Contact person: Fazal ALI 070.500.269
AFGHANISTAN LIBRE
Contact person: Daoud Hashimi : 079.200.900
AFGHAN MEDIA AND CULTURE CENTER (AINA)
Contact person: Eric Martin : 070.284.581
ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA PER LA SOLIDARIETA TRA I POPOLI (AISPO)
Contact person: Paolo Chiodini 079.390.410
AIDE MEDICALE INTERNATIONALE (AMI)
Contact person: Erwan Le Grand: 079.338.239
AFGHANISTAN SOLIDARITY ORGANIZATION (ASO)
Contact person: Essa Mohammad 079.321.039/070.280.778
COOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE – (COOPI)
Contact person: Faisal GILANI 070.277.287
CARITAS GERMANY
Contact person: Ludger Niemann, 070.283.955
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
Contact person: P.M. Jose : 070.283.481
CHILD FUND AFGHANISTAN
Contact person: Richard Thwaites 070.203.638
CATHOLIC ORGANIZATION RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT AID (CORDAID)
Contact person: Rezaul Hassan 070.294.265
ENFANTS DU MONDE DROITS DE L’HOMME
Contact person: Sébastien Lebail 079.300.750
GLOBAL HOPE NETWORK INTERNATIONAL IN AFGHANISTAN
Contact person: Michael Muller 079.211.867
HANDICAP-INTERNATIONAL BELGIUM
Contact person: Sébastien FOUQUET 079.566.734
HANDICAP-INTERNATIONAL France
Contact person: Jean-François TRANI : 079.211.207
INTERSOS
Contact person: Branko Golubovic 070.283941
MEDAIR
Contact person: Mark Campell 070.296.778
MEDECINS DU MONDE France
Contact person: Mirjam Koppe 070.282.412
MEDECINS DU MONDE GREECE
Contact person: Ilias K. Makheridis
MERLIN AFGHANISTAN
Contact person:Nik Rilkoff pc.taloqan@merlin.org.uk
MISSION D’AIDE AU DEVELOPPEMENT DES ECONOMIES RURALES EN AFGHANISTAN (MADERA)
Contact person: Anne Lancelot : 070.205.980
MISSION EAST, AFGHANISTAN
Contact person: John Augsburger
ORPHANS REFUGEES AND AID (ORA)
Contact person: Bronwyn Graham, 070.291.034
director@oracentralasia.org
POLISH HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATION
Contact person: Kasia Pszczola
SANAYEE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (SDF)
Contact person: John Augsburger
SOLIDARITE FRANCE
Contact person: Philippe HAMEL 070 282 535
SOLIDARITE AFGHANISTAN Belgique
Contact person: Hubert
SPORTS SANS FRONTIERES
Contact person: Alain Trouvé : 079.326.804
SWEDISH COMMITTEE FOR AFGHANISTAN
Contact person: Jesper Frovin Jensen: 070. 299.288
TERRE DES HOMMES IN AFGHANISTAN
Contact person: Eng. Roohullah Shinwari 0 70 200 870
TROCAIRE
Contact person: Marc Rombumay 070.279.74
WORLD VISION AFGHANISTAN
Contact person: Graham Strong 0)70402036/ -(0) 79334869