N'DJAMENA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations are increasingly forced to face the realities of a worsening security situation in eastern Chad where cases of humanitarian workers losing lives in robberies are not rare, according to a new report this week.

    The death of Pascal Marlinge, a French national working for British-based NGO Save the Children, actually brought the number of lives lost in the region to five since the beginning of this year.

    In addition to the death of Marlinge, two drivers and two Chadian gendarmes, many robberies both on highways and offices have been reported since January, said one source, adding that at least one four-wheel-drive vehicle is stolen every week.

    "There are different types of banditry in this vast region," said Col. Patrice Dumont Saint Priest, one of the commanders of the European peacekeeping force (EUFOR) that is being deployed in both Chad and the Central African Republic to protect internally displaced persons and refugees.

    "There are road cutters, whose aim is to steal, mainly the four-wheel drive vehicles owned by NGOs. But, there is also some form of ethnic crime that is mainly aimed at local people, refugees or displaced persons," said Priest, adding that humanitarian convoys have become the latest addition to the list of preferred targets.

    According to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the EUFOR has "finally understood" the existence of the problem.

    "Before, when we asked for their help, they used to reply that it is not part of their mandate. But now that Pascal Marlinge has been killed, they have completely changed their attitude," said UNHCR spokeswoman Annette Rehrl.

    Where possible, UN agencies working in the country are now able to secure their convoys using the Chadian gendarmerie or European troops, said the spokeswoman. "We inform them about our convoys and they are agreeing to integrate them if they so wish," said Col.Priest.

    "The more we become efficient, the more the NGOs are able to operate in a secure way. But this is not our mandate to provide close protection to the NGOs," said the European colonel.

    However, the majority of non-governmental organizations systematically refuse any contact and any convoy with armed soldiers in line with the principle of neutrality and to avoid confusing the public.

    "There are discussions, because ultimately the challenge for the convoys is to protect themselves from thieves," said Rehrl, adding that high-level insecurity in northeast Chad required NGOs to move in secure convoys.

    "Normally, we try to avoid the armed convoys. Anything that restricts the flexibility of logistics is not good, and to be dependent on armed convoys is a major hindrance," said Federica Biondi of InterSos, a locally-based organization.