The staff will be temporarily relocated in 'secure' locations outside of the country for at least three weeks.
The move is the latest setback in what has been a torrid few months for the US-led war against the Taliban in Afghanistan,
The announcement by the UN to remove 600 of its 1,100 employees follows the decision to suspend much of the work being done in the volatile north-west region of neighbouring Pakistan in response to increased attacks.
The United Nations remains adamant the move does not equate to an evacuation but will instead allow for a consolidation period to improve protection for staff.
The 'non-essential' staff will return to work once security was improved at unsecured accommodation, the UN has claimed.
Spokesman Aleem Siddique said: 'We remain committed to ensuring that all of our programmes and activities continue. But obviously following the events of last week, we really do need to have a look at how we can ensure that our staff can continue those programmes and activities, but at the same time we can protect their safety.'
Five UN workers were killed in a pre-dawn attack on Kabul last Wednesday, with concern now growing about the effectiveness of the international strategy in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday five British soldiers were killed when a 'rogue' Afghan policeman opened fire at a military checkpoint.
The way in which Hamid Karzai secured a second term as the country's president has also been met with dismay by much of the international community following allegations of widespread vote-rigging and election fraud.
Public opinion in both the UK and US has begun to turn against the military campaign in Afghanistan which has now entered into its eighth year.
Gordon Brown has announced an extra 500 British soldiers will be sent to the region, while US president Barack Obama has yet to decide on requests for the deployment of an extra 40,000 troops.
The move is the latest setback in what has been a torrid few months for the US-led war against the Taliban in Afghanistan,
The announcement by the UN to remove 600 of its 1,100 employees follows the decision to suspend much of the work being done in the volatile north-west region of neighbouring Pakistan in response to increased attacks.
The United Nations remains adamant the move does not equate to an evacuation but will instead allow for a consolidation period to improve protection for staff.
The 'non-essential' staff will return to work once security was improved at unsecured accommodation, the UN has claimed.
Spokesman Aleem Siddique said: 'We remain committed to ensuring that all of our programmes and activities continue. But obviously following the events of last week, we really do need to have a look at how we can ensure that our staff can continue those programmes and activities, but at the same time we can protect their safety.'
Five UN workers were killed in a pre-dawn attack on Kabul last Wednesday, with concern now growing about the effectiveness of the international strategy in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday five British soldiers were killed when a 'rogue' Afghan policeman opened fire at a military checkpoint.
The way in which Hamid Karzai secured a second term as the country's president has also been met with dismay by much of the international community following allegations of widespread vote-rigging and election fraud.
Public opinion in both the UK and US has begun to turn against the military campaign in Afghanistan which has now entered into its eighth year.
Gordon Brown has announced an extra 500 British soldiers will be sent to the region, while US president Barack Obama has yet to decide on requests for the deployment of an extra 40,000 troops.
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