Winning the War ?

The International Committee of the Red Cross declared on Wednesday that conditions in the country - with respect to their ability to do their work - are now the worst in 30 years, since the organisation first arrived there. "Access for the ICRC has over the last 30 years never been as poor." Many areas of Afghanistan, particularly in the north, were now inaccessible not only for the ICRC but for the hundreds of other aid groups.
"The proliferation of armed groups threatens the ability of humanitarian organisations to access those in need."

The Red Cross said that growing civilian casualties, internal displacement and poor medical care have created a dire humanitarian situation and are likely to persist into next year.
"The sheer fact the ICRC has organised a press conference ... is an expression of us being extremely concerned of yet another year of fighting with dramatic consequences for an ever-growing number of people in by now almost the entire country."

The ICRC said it expected fighting to increase in the coming year just as it had in 2010, the deadliest year of the war since the Taliban were ousted in late 2001. The number of NATO and foreign troops is about 150,000