United Nations Pulls Half Its Staff After Deadly Attack In Afghanistan

The United Nations is relocating some 600 nonessential employees -- more than half its international staff in Afghanistan -- following last week's Taliban attack that killed five U.N. workers.

The U.N. said the move was temporary, with most of the workers being moved for up to a month to more secure locations while safer housing can be located. It was unclear how many employees would actually leave the country, the Associated Press reported.

"We are not talking about pulling out," the head of the mission, Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide, told reporters. "We are not talking about evacuation."

The majority of the U.N.'s 1,100 international staff in Afghanistan lives in more than 90 guesthouses in the capital, Kabul.

The Oct. 28 attack was the most direct targeting of U.N. employees in Afghanistan in decades. Gunmen stormed a guesthouse and killed five U.N. workers and three Afghans. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying they intentionally targeted U.N. employees.

After the assault, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon requested an additional $75 million to help with security improvements and crisis preparation in Afghanistan.