Story number 1 for 15 Nov 2001

(Tajikistan)–Topping the news, a sudden Taliban retreat from the capital city of Afghanistan marks the second time in a week that the Northern Alliance has triumphed. The rout has opened a main thoroughfare between key cities, which means humanitarian aid can now reach the displaced Afghanis. World Concern’s relief director, Kelly Miller, says they’ve joined a coalition of international humanitarian agencies ready to move. “Given the fact that the cities have been taken, the potential to open that up to be able to reach more people, from the humanitarian standpoint, is certainly there. Issues of the security of the roads in between those major cities is totally unknown, so, the hope is that those access routes will become secure.” Miller says that would mean the aid effort could work as it is designed to. He asks people to pray for a group that left Tuesday. “We have another team going in-country, into the stock area, so just continue prayer for safety, and that indeed the outreach to the people truly does have an impact in their lives.”