-Winter in Afghanistan is very cold, and the humanitarian relief agencies are afraid there will be a disaster unless assistance is stepped up further. However, the new situation in Afghanistan means there is a better chance of getting relief supplies into the country, said Mr. Helgesen.

Mr. Helgesen is in Geneva on 14-15 November for talks on Afghanistan with key international humanitarian organizations, including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Red Cross system. His visit is also part of the preparations for Norway’s chairmanship of the Afghanistan Support Group, which will begin in January 2002. This was also the main topic of discussion during Mr. Helgesen’s recent visit to Pakistan and Iran.

Norway considers it important to support the UN’s role in Afghanistan, and more than half of the allocation is therefore being given to the UN: NOK 15 million to the UNHCR, NOK 11 million to the World Food Programme, NOK 8 million to UNICEF, NOK 7 million to the Food and Agriculture Organization, NOK 3 million to the World Health Organization and NOK 5 million to mine-clearance programmes of the UN (OCHA). The Red Cross system is also making an important contribution in Afghanistan, and will receive an additional NOK 17.6 million. Norwegian NGOs are being given a total of NOK 14 million. These funds will go to the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee, Caritas and Mèdecins Sans Frontièrs. This year Norway has allocated a total of NOK 306 million to the crisis in Afghanistan.