Security in Afghanistan has now deteriorated to the extent that the foreign staff of the UN's refugee agency are unable to travel to half of that country, its top official said Wednesday. The agency now has to rely on local staff or Afghan "partner" organizations to reach the tens of thousands of displaced people and returning refugees it is trying to help, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres. He told reporters in Geneva: "Access of our international staff to the territory is now limited to about 50 percent." Guterres said aid workers have become targets for violence in part because the distinction between the foreign military and humanitarian groups has been blurred: Military 'hearts and minds' campaigns intended to win the support of the local population by building bridges and digging wells could easily be confused with similar work carried out by aid groups, making it difficult for villagers to draw the line between foreign soldiers and humanitarian workers, he said. Guterres said the agency has "completely reshaped" its operations in Afghanistan in response to growing threats, including by moving administrative staff to its regional office in Bangkok and investing in security hardware.
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