London, Dec. 5 (ANI): A map reportedly prepared for U. N. staff posted in Kabul has revealed that nearly 50 percent of Afghanistan is off-limits because of the danger posed by a resurgent Taleban.

According to The Times, which has accessed the as yet unpublished map, most foreign and Afghan staff have been evacuated from southern Afghanistan and have abandoned development projects in rural areas, confining themselves to cities or to less risky areas in the north of the landlocked country.

The unpublished map, according to the paper, illustrates risk levels across the nation.

Nearly all of the ethnic Pashtun south and east is a no-go zone categorised as high or extreme risk, and there are even pockets in the north of the country that are becoming dangerous for aid workers, The Times reports.

An opinion poll published on Monday found that only 42 per cent of Afghans rate US efforts positively compared with 68 per cent in 2005, and also suggested that support for the Taleban was growing.

The Times quoted Nic Lee, from the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office, as saying: “It is getting worse. The Taleban are making significant inroads in provincial centres. ” (ANI)