UN declares emergency operations for Pakistan's northwest

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has declared Phase IV (Emergency Operations) in northwest Pakistan's tribal region with immediate effect, a UN statement said on Monday.

The decision has been taken bearing in mind the intense security situation in the region, said the statement issued by the UN Information Center in Islamabad.

The impact of phase IV is reduced international UN staff member in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), with presence of only those vital for emergency, humanitarian relief, security operations or any other essential operations as advised by the Secretary-General, it said.

All other international UN staff who were involved in the running of program activities will be relocated out of NWFP and FATA, according to the statement.

The security measures will be enhanced for staff that will continue their work in NWFP and FATA. The planning of future programmatic activities covering NWFP and FATA will continue and be in place to be initiated once the security situation improves.

"The United Nations is committed to providing development and humanitarian assistance to the people of Pakistan," the statement said.

It will continue to work in the areas where most help is required. The safety and security of its staff is also very important to the organization hence it is taking steps to ensure the safety of its staff without hampering the most essential needs of the people of NWFP and FATA. Phase IV is a step towards enhancing security measures for its staff.