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CNN Saturday Morning News

U.N. Trucks of Humanitarian Aid Make Their Way Into Afghanistan

Aired September 29, 2001 - 11:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now, we want to take you overseas. Getting word the U.N. is sending about 20 trucks of humanitarian aid from Pakistan across the border into northern Afghanistan. Also along the way, 4,000 donkeys being used to help in that caravan. To Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, and CNN's Christiane Amanpour who is watching this, and developments with the trial that has been delayed again for another day. Christiane, hello to you.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, a two-pronged effort under way now by the United Nations humanitarian officials here. One, they are bringing and using an air shuttle to and from Pakistan to Europe to bring in metric tons of plastic sheeting, and eventually they will have tents and all sorts of equipment to provide shelter should their worse nightmare come true, and that is perhaps 1.5 million Afghanis fleeing to various borders if this develops into a military situation.

At the same time, another agency of the United Nations, the Children's Fund, is sending 200 tons of food and blankets, warm clothing, even some books, over land to the northern part of Afghanistan, which also is in dire need, even though that's held by the non-Taliban rebels up there. They have tried to send these by trucks, which they will offload onto smaller trucks as they go through these very, very difficult and narrow mountain passes. And at the end, the final leg will be taken by, as you mentioned, 4,000 mules. It will be a classic mule train. Gives you an idea of, A, how difficult this is, and B, how desperate the need is.

Now, on another issue, we are tracking this trial that's going on. Obviously, we can only do that from trying to look in from here in Islamabad. We spoke to the lawyer of those eight international aid workers, two of whom are American. They are also two Australians and four Germans. He went in yesterday, he spent the day, or at least part of the day today with his clients. He said that they are in good health. He took them letters from their families and he took in some medicine for one of them, for one of the American girls.

And as you mentioned, their trial has been postponed for another day. We are not entirely sure why, but they hope, according to the lawyer, that it won't be too long before a verdict is announced -- Bill.

HEMMER: Christiane, also, last hour an aid worker out of Islamabad was denying any reports that the Taliban were ceasing any of the aid that was crossing into certain areas of Afghanistan. But you're reporting on the aid going into the northern section of the country. Do you have any information about what's happening in other parts that are controlled and ruled by the Taliban, with regard to aid?

AMANPOUR: Well, there may have been some confusion about the ceasing of aid. What really happened, according to the U.N., was that their rooms, essentially, their radio rooms, their satellite communication, those were sealed and very, very carefully monitored. U.N. is saying that they don't have reports in Taliban-controlled southern parts of Afghanistan of aid being seized, but there was one report of one of the areas in northern Afghanistan, which is also controlled by the Taliban, around Mazara Sharif (ph), there was apparently some aid seized by the Taliban.

HEMMER: All right, Christiane. Christiane Amanpour, it is night fall there in Islamabad. Thank you.

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