Letter: Plight of Kabul

Sir: When the expatriate staff of Children in Crisis were forced to leave Kabul last July we did not dismiss all staff. We established a temporary office in neighbouring Pakistan and have continued to employ the vast majority of our Afghan staff.

Through them, we have continued with the support of the British government and private sponsors, to deliver assistance to hundreds of children in Kabul.

Regarding our assistance to the Indira Ghandi Hospital, the rehabilitation work has in fact been continuing over the past six months, organised by our Afghan engineer. The hospital administration may be disappointed that we are unable to do more, but this is a result of the refusal of any of the major international funding agencies to commit funds to the hospital, despite repeated requests.

We expect to be reopening our office in Kabul in early February.

DAVID SOGAN

Children in Crisis

London SW11