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Attack on Afghan aid workers prompts UN call for better security

Attack on Afghan aid workers prompts UN call for better security

A typical village in northern Afghanistan not far from where the roadside bombing that killed three staff members of a UNHCR partner occurred
The acting United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, Tekeste Tekie, today called for better security for aid workers, after three national staff of a local non-governmental organization (NGO) were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in was destroyed by a roadside bomb.

The three killed in yesterday’s attack in Jawzjan province in northern Afghanistan worked for Development and Humanitarian Services in Afghanistan (DHSA), which provides shelter for returnees and is a partner organization of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

A statement issued by the UN in Afghanistan noted that this is at least the fourth security incident targeting humanitarian workers in the country in the past two weeks.

“This latest attack is one more example of the unacceptable toll that the conflict in Afghanistan is taking on civilians, and in particular on humanitarian workers whose sole objective is the delivery of relief assistance to people in distress,” the statement said.

The UN added that the continuing attacks and threats have forced aid agencies to restrict their operations and thus adversely affecting their ability to reach those in need.

“All parties to the conflict should honour their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure that this horrible incident is not repeated,” the world body stated.

This was the second incident involving UNHCR in Afghanistan in the past couple of days.

On Monday, cars carrying three agency staff members and one employee of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) were overtaking a military convoy when one of the military vehicles exploded. Although further details on the incident, which occurred in the country’s east, are not currently available, none of the UN staff members were injured.