Campaign For Innocent Victims In Conflict (CIVIC): Afghanistan: UN High Commissioner Calls for Compensation to Afghans
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 20, 2007
3:21 PM
|
CONTACT: Campaign For Innocent Victims In Conflict (CIVIC)
Marla Bertagnolli
marlab@civicworldwide.org 202.558.6958
|
| |
|
Afghanistan: UN High Commissioner Calls for Compensation to Afghans
Advocacy Group Says Helping Civilians Harmed In Combat The Right Thing To Do
|
| |
|
WASHINGTON, DC - November 20 - Following a call by the top UN human rights official for compensation to civilians in Afghanistan, Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC) today urged NATO to take seriously that appeal to help civilians harmed by its combat operations.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour returned from a six-day trip to Afghanistan today, publicly stating she was concerned that the number of civilian casualties caused by NATO forces had reached “alarming levels.” Arbour said she found ISAF (International Security and Assistance Force) commanders understood the importance of assisting Afghans harmed in the midst of combat operations and called on all international forces to follow through with a “systematized and consistent approach to compensation.”
“It’s a simple equation. Help where you've hurt,” Sarah Holewinski, CIVIC’s executive director, said. “That’s not hard to do in Afghanistan. It’s hard to commit to do and that’s where NATO needs to step up.”
CIVIC has been urging NATO forces for over a year to promptly aid the Afghan war victims created by their combat operations. The organization noted that NATO countries created Post-Operations Humanitarian Relief Fund last year for this very purpose and has documented several successes in mitigating anger and resentment among the local Afghan populace. However, with only seven NATO member states donating a total of 500,000 Euro to distribute to civilians, the Fund’s attempt to build goodwill among the Afghan people has thus far fallen short. CIVIC urged NATO to follow Ms. Arbour’s call to compensate.
“With all the talk about winning hearts and minds, NATO countries still have not solidly committed themselves to helping the innocent civilians they unintentionally harm,” said Holewinski. “They should know by now that you can’t win this war unless you win the people.”
CIVIC is a Washington-based organization that believes civilians harmed in conflict should be recognized and helped by the warring parties involved. In 2005, CIVIC's founder Marla Ruzicka was killed in Iraq by suicide bomb. CIVIC honors her legacy and strives to sustain her vision.
###
|
|
Printer Friendly Version
E-Mail This Article
