Highway anarchy halting flow of humanitarian aid

A war victim begs in Jalalabad. PHOTO: AFP

Efforts supply aid to Afghanistan have been severely hit by the return of anarchy on the highways -- a situation which plagued the country before the Taliban came to power.

Hauliers have ferried aid and commercial goods into Afghanistan since the collapse of Taliban rule have decided to cut back operations after being forced to hand over much of their cargo amid fears for their drivers' safety.

The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) suspended its convoys into the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif last week after fears that two drivers of a private haulage company had been killed.

Before the Taliban came to power Afghanistan's roads were notorious for their roadblocks, with local warlords forcing companies to hand over much of their cargo or large amounts of cash as they strung chains across routes.

Most of the drivers based in Pakistan are ethnic Pashtuns who mourn the transfer of power in many regions from the Pashtun-dominated Taliban to Northern Alliance warlords from ethnic minorities.

Karim Agha, a director of Agha Goods which has driven convoys of aid for agencies such as the UNHCR and the UN's children's fund (UNICEF) said he was only allowing his drivers to go as far as the southern city of Kandahar, where the Taliban is still struggling to retain power.

"I'm worried for my drivers outside Kandahar. There are many thieves on the roads. I am worried for their safety. There was no crimes during the Taliban," he said.

Aziz Khan, manager of Green Ziarat Goods which has run aid convoys in the past, said he had decided to halt any further trips to Afghanistan after some of his drivers became victims of highway robbery.

"When they tell you to stop, you stop. They have guns and they may torture you. Before, with the Taliban, there was not any problems. With the Taliban government gone we have decided not to go into Afghanistan."

Green Ziarat driver Abdul Malik, who returned from Afghanistan Saturday, said he had lost almost the whole of his cargo of food after being stopped at roadblocks between Kandahar and Kabul.

"The only reason they didn't take my truck was that they had brought their own to load up. They are professionals."

Malik's included cooking oil, sugar and meat, but none of it reached the intended destination.

UNHCR Peter Kessler said the power vacuum in Afghanistan could have serious consequences for the distribution of aid.

"Without a government or reliable power on the ground that you can negotiate or discuss the access of humanitarian aid into a great many parts of the country, it can be a very delicate situation," he said.