'Civilians the worst sufferers of Helmand operation'

[annm4peace]

(something to ask your Senators about)

http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/05/26/civilians-the-worst-sufferers-of-helmand-operation_9374.phtml

PAN, May 26, 2008

'Civilians the worst sufferers of Helmand operation'
More civilians were killed and wounded in the bombardments and raids that worried the local population.

Makia Monri

Senators and public representatives from the restive Helmand province have expressed deep concern over the displacement and suffering of Garmser residents due to the ongoing operation to recapture the district from Taliban.

Two senators from Helmand told reporters in Kabul on Monday that many civilians were killed, wounded and displaced during the operation by NATO and Afghan forces.

Haji Mahboob Garmsiri, a senator from the district, and Haji Sher Muhammad Akhunzada, head of the parliamentary committee for internal safety in the senate also from Helmand, said that the civilians were the worst sufferers in the operation.

Garmsiri added that thousands of families from Garmsir have fled their homes to other parts of Helmand and areas bordering Pakistan and had been left in the lurch.

He said only the United Nations Development Program has distributed some aid to the IDPs, but that was very insufficient.

He also blamed foreign troops of breaking into civilians homes and detaining innocent people. He said there were already dozens of people detained some of them taken to the Kandahar air field and some were freed later. He also claimed that more civilians were killed and wounded in the bombardments and raids that worried the local population. He blamed the Afghan forces of looting public property.