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U.N.: Taliban to blame for humanitarian crisis

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) - The United Nations Security Council has blamed Taliban misrule in Afghanistan for the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.

The Taliban have called on the U.N. to help thousands of displaced Afghans who are facing rapidly deteriorating conditions as a result of worsening weather and continued U.S. bombing.

But the U.N. has hit back at the Taliban, saying that they have been hindering humanitarian relief efforts.

On Tuesday Security Council President, Ambassador Patricia Durrant of Jamaica, called on the Taliban not to impede the aid effort, saying that the Council "deplored the looting of UN offices, and the Taliban's takeover of humanitarian relief sites, including food and supply warehouses."

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Commending humanitarian agencies and their staff who have been working to assist Afghans, the Security Council said it was important to ensure the safety and security of locally hired and international humanitarian workers.

The U.N. estimates that 7.5 million Afghans are in need of aid and has warned that more than 100,000 Afghan children may not survive the oncoming winter.

Durrant told reporters after a closed-door meeting Tuesday that Security Council members had "stressed the need to continue to find innovative ways of delivering much-needed supplies to the region and distributing aid to those in need."

He said the Council was grateful to neighboring countries that have agreed to reopen borders to allow the transportation of aid convoys into Afghanistan.

The Council was also supportive of diplomatic efforts of the U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who has been meeting with different leaders and officials in the region.

The number of Afghans trying to flee their country has been reported to be increasing after the U.S. hinted that it was not prepared to halt its military campaign during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- which begins mid-November.

French President Jacques Chirac has said that the U.N. has agreed to hold a global conference to resolve what he called the "intolerable" plight of Afghan refugees.