JCP research team in Islamabad find U.S. air strikes causing difficulties
for U.N. aid work for refugees

Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers now visiting Islamabad had a meeting
with the U.N. field office staff on October 31. They found that U.S. air
strikes against Afghanistan are making it difficult for office staffers to
continue aid work and that many of them had to leave Afghanistan.

Ogata Yasuo, JCP House of Councilors member who headed the team,
commented critically that innocent citizens are being killed while the
United Nations is giving aid to Afghanis. In response, the field office
staff said he wants the war to be halted.

The field office staff in charge of mine removal said that the air
strikes have stopped their activities to remove mines and they now have to
dispose of cluster bomb duds.

He also said that the money for their activity is running short and they
have asked Japan's government for contributions many times, but received
nothing in these two years. (end)