Afghanistan: UN envoy condemns attacks on aid workers, vows continued relief effort

The chief United Nations envoy in Afghanistan today deplored a recent "brutal and premeditated" deadly attack on aid workers, but affirmed that the relief drive will continue.

Lakhdar Brahimi issued a statement in Kabul condemning "the vicious attack on a vehicle of the Afghan Red Crescent Society last Wednesday which resulted in the death of two national staff members and gunshot injuries to four others."

The daylight attack took place in Ghazni province when two gunmen on a motorbike approached the vehicle and fired on the passengers inside with AK-47 rifles. It followed similar incidents over the last 10 days, including one when an Afghan aid worker was killed and others when staff were fired at or beaten and brutalized.

Mr. Brahimi, chief of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), reiterated that "the goal of members of the aid community in Afghanistan, be they nationals or internationals, is to help the needy and vulnerable to improve their living conditions."

He vowed that the international community would not be deterred by these acts. "The United Nations is committed to using all means available to continue providing the necessary assistance to the Afghan people," he said.

Through the statement, Mr. Brahimi extended his sympathies to the families of the victims and voiced hope that those injured would soon recover.