RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONS
What outcome for the United Nations intervention in Pakistant after the terrorist attack on the World Food Program?
By Julie Simoncini and Mimoza Mihalica
This action, claimed the next day by Talibans affiliated to the terrorist Organization Al Qaida, provoked the general indignation. The Secretary General of United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, deeply condemned this terrorist act having aimed deliberately at the biggest humanitarian organization of the world, asked to feed more than 90 million hungry persons, in some tens of country throughout the world. This UN agency is essentially active in very politically unstable countries and carries out actions entering the category of humanitarian emergency internvention. Firstly intended for the children, the World Food Program nevertheless helps all the vulnerable populations needing assistance. Also while wishing to participate in the economic and social development of the countries in which it works, WFP helps the Pakistani population for several years and doubled efforts during the earthquake which the country underwent in 2005, or as early as the armed conflicts and terrorist attacks begun, and led to thousands of victims and millions of displaced people throughout the country.
The fights between the army of Pakistan and the Talibans in the valley of Swat provoked a humanitarian crisis and a movement of more than 2 million persons. It is in this difficult context that the work of the United Nations and NGOs engraves itself. Having condemned in a strongest way " this obnoxious suicide attack ", the UN Secretary-General nevertheless indicated that the Organization would continue to provide its assistance to Pakistanese popultion. Pakistan sees his stability shaken by an even more important Taliban movement and which has still knocked on numerous occasions since the attack against the WFP.
The fact that terrorist acts take themselves to the organizations of United Nations system is a loud, alarming and particularly disturbing element. The world was always persuaded that the United Nations Organisation and its organs constituted an ideal, untouchable and respected by all institution. The House of Glass was created in the unique purpose to protect the world peace and to support the fragile populations, and it, without discrimination. The recent events clearly demonstrated that limits have been crossed as the bomb of Islamabad exploded. In spite of its very particular function as humanitarian actor working only to provide relief to the local populations, WFP was the target of a deliberate and thoughtful attack, that will have several considerable consequences. First of all, the United Nations Organisation closed at once and until new order its offices in Islamabad, which were not any more capable of insuring the safety of its employees. It is about a dramatic consequence for the Pakistani population there, which was the beneficiary of the program. Even if the UN Secretary-General assures that this measure will only be temporary, not only the help is failed for the moment, but a climate of insecurity and fear is settling down. In view of the murderous attacks that the country these last two years underwent, the humanitarian organizations withdrew little by little, and are less and less numerous to be able to help the victims of natural disasters, poverty or the fights between Allies and Talibans. The international laws cannot bring concretes and realistic solutions. Indeed, the applicable measures by the UN remain all the same limited; from the sidelining of Pakistan of the international community, to the intervention of blue helmets, it is so many measures which would lead the civil population to reach higher degree of poverty. The redoubling of efforts and the settlement of safe conditions for the humanitarian workers remain the best solution. If the United Nations Organisation withdraws itself from the country, it is the last bastion of the selfless help and the hope which collapses for the Pakistani civil population.
However, the international community is really worried by this country, being henceforth considered as a real time bomb. The proliferation of Taliban districts in the northwest of the country brought the Pakistani army to lead bloody fights, engendering a number of unprecedented civil deaths. Suicide attacks are unpredictable and particularly violent. The Afghan Talibans and the members of Al Qaida multiply their offensives worldwide with the aim of avenging the death of their leader Baïtullah Mehsud, killed by the shooting of an American missile on August 5th in tribal zones of the northwest of Pakistan. When the situation in Pakistan is evoked, a fear crosses the spirit . This Asian country possesses the nuclear weapon since more than ten years, and a seizure of power by the Talibans on the current political regime regrettably is not to be excluded. We can imagine without any trouble that such an event would multiply tenfold the risks of the utilization of the atomic bomb against Western countries.
In spite of the risk for its employees, the only possible outcome envisaged by this organization is the preservation of the assistance to the populations in need. The complexity of the conflict and the stakes in the region are only aggravating the situation of the civil populations which are as usual the first victims of the disputes. Also, the humanitarian workers are too often the victims targeted by the conflicts. As legitimately recalled by Ban Ki-moon on March 25th, 2009: 105 member states did not still ratify the Agreement on the safety of the United Nations staff and the associated staff adopted in 1994 and only 16 states ratified the additional protocol of 2005.
NOTE: this text is a student work. It reflects and involves opinions and observations of the authors only. It does not reflect the ideas and official position of the Institute for Advanced Studies on the United Nations, its directors, the managers, employees, partners or of persons who were consulted during its elaboration.
