UN hasn’t formally offered paying MoI $6m

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Interior Ministry says reports that the United Nations has offered to pay it nearly $6 million for the protection of the world body’s offices and staff are incorrect.

Claim

The United Nations is proposing to pay nearly $6 million for the protection of its offices and employees to the Interior Ministry in Kabul, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

The proposed funds would be paid next year mostly to subsidise monthly wages of Taliban fighters guarding UN facilities and to provide them a monthly food allowance under an expansion of an accord with the former US-backed Afghan government.

The proposal is part of a document reviewed by Reuters news agency. The report was also carried by other media outlets as well.

“The UN is obliged to strengthen the capacity of the host country in countries where its staff is operating in a state of insecurity,” Farhan Haq, the UN’s deputy spokesman, told Reuters.

Fact check

But Eng Ezam, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, rejected the report. “On social media, the report circulated, saying the UN has proposed to offer the ministry about $6 million to protect its offices and employees. This report is incorrect and no such propose has been made formally by the UN to MoI,” he said.

Outcome:

Reports say the UN has proposed to pay $6 million to MoI for the protection of its offices and employees. The ministry, however, says no such suggestion has been floated yet formally.

Verdict

No official proposal has been received by the ministry regarding the payment of $6 million from the United Nations.

sa/mud