We have stressed to the Taliban at every opportunity the importance of permitting humanitarian programs to operate unimpeded and, in particular, of allowing women and girls full access. The information that we have indicates that many programs are operating and that some parallel structures have been developed for women. However, the lack of opportunities for women in the education sector remains a serious cause for concern. Few opportunities exist for women in areas of Taliban control. We will have to monitor this situation carefully and keep pressing the Taliban for full cooperation.
Palestinian refugees remain the principal focus of our work in the Middle East.
Great Lakes Region. The constantly evolving regional crisis in the Great Lakes region of Africa, which has been a major preoccupation of the Bureau for over three years, continues to demand our attention and resources. The total number of refugees in the region was greatly diminished by the return home of some 1.2 million new caseload Rwandan refugees from Zaire and Tanzania between November 1996 and January 1997. These people continue to be of concern to us in terms of their sustainable reintegration. Finding places to settle the returnees as well as those who fear living where they once did and dealing with justice for nearly 100,000 people in jail are among the challenges.