Medical workers murdered in Afghanistan as violence continues
-11/04/06
Five medical s
Medical workers murdered in Afghanistan as violence continues
-11/04/06
Five medical staff working for a development organisation supported by both Christians and Muslims have been murdered in north-west Afghanistan.
The victims include a doctor, community health worker, and health educator who were part of a project run by the Rural Rehabilitation Association for Afghanistan (RRAA), in Darrah-i-Bohm, Badghis province.
It is thought that at least four gunmen broke into their clinic at around 1am today (local time). According to recent news reports, the gunmen tied them up before shooting them.
The local community, fearing for their lives, did not approach the scene until dawn when they raised the alarm with RRAA staff. Government police forces do not operate in this isolated region.
Fazl Rabi of the UK-based international development agency Christian Aid, which co-funds RRAA, said yesterday: ìWe work as a team with our partners and we are sharing their pain at this loss. This clinic was in a very poor area with no facilities but the dedicated staff were providing essential services. Weíre all very upset.î
The motive for the attack remains unclear although some reports claim it could have been linked to internationally-backed poppy eradication activities that are triggering anti-western sentiment. Afghan poppies are used to produce heroin.
Local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) funded by foreign donors are increasingly becoming targets for those who wish to destabilise Afghanistan at this crucial stage in its development.
Aid workers in Afghanistan face constant risk and in some cases are forced to stop working in dangerous areas.
In such instances, communities that receive no assistance from the government become even more cut off from basic and vital services, such as healthcare and education.
Sayed Abdul Hakim, of RRAA, said: ìWe express our regret and condolences to the families, friends and relatives of these innocents who have spent their lives serving the most vulnerable people living in this most remote area of Afghanistan. Peace be upon them.î
RRAA staff are retrieving the bodies of the deceased and returning them to their families.
In other incidents, an explosion on Monday killed two policemen and wounded two others during an opium eradication patrol in the southern province of Helmand.
It was unclear whether the explosion was caused by a roadside bomb or a land mine, says al-Jazeera.
The Taliban have regularly attacked aid workers and road construction crews, claiming that their work is supporting the government and foreign forces. About 30 aid workers were killed in 2005.
A recent surge in suicide bombings and other violence followed a Taliban announcement that they had launched a ëSpring offensiveí, and comes as NATO members are preparing to send thousands more peacekeeping troops to the country.
Aid organisations linked with Christian churches seem especially vulnerable. Some observers say that the way the medical workers were killed indicates that they may have been accused of apostasy.
Christian Aid is firm in its demarcation between relief work and religious work. It does not support proselytism and it gives aid without regard to peopleís creed. It also cooperates with Muslim groups.
Medical workers murdered in Afghanistan as violence continues
-11/04/06
Five medical staff working for a development organisation supported by both Christians and Muslims have been murdered in north-west Afghanistan.
The victims include a doctor, community health worker, and health educator who were part of a project run by the Rural Rehabilitation Association for Afghanistan (RRAA), in Darrah-i-Bohm, Badghis province.
It is thought that at least four gunmen broke into their clinic at around 1am today (local time). According to recent news reports, the gunmen tied them up before shooting them.
The local community, fearing for their lives, did not approach the scene until dawn when they raised the alarm with RRAA staff. Government police forces do not operate in this isolated region.
Fazl Rabi of the UK-based international development agency Christian Aid, which co-funds RRAA, said yesterday: ìWe work as a team with our partners and we are sharing their pain at this loss. This clinic was in a very poor area with no facilities but the dedicated staff were providing essential services. Weíre all very upset.î
The motive for the attack remains unclear although some reports claim it could have been linked to internationally-backed poppy eradication activities that are triggering anti-western sentiment. Afghan poppies are used to produce heroin.
Local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) funded by foreign donors are increasingly becoming targets for those who wish to destabilise Afghanistan at this crucial stage in its development.
Aid workers in Afghanistan face constant risk and in some cases are forced to stop working in dangerous areas.
In such instances, communities that receive no assistance from the government become even more cut off from basic and vital services, such as healthcare and education.
Sayed Abdul Hakim, of RRAA, said: ìWe express our regret and condolences to the families, friends and relatives of these innocents who have spent their lives serving the most vulnerable people living in this most remote area of Afghanistan. Peace be upon them.î
RRAA staff are retrieving the bodies of the deceased and returning them to their families.
In other incidents, an explosion on Monday killed two policemen and wounded two others during an opium eradication patrol in the southern province of Helmand.
It was unclear whether the explosion was caused by a roadside bomb or a land mine, says al-Jazeera.
The Taliban have regularly attacked aid workers and road construction crews, claiming that their work is supporting the government and foreign forces. About 30 aid workers were killed in 2005.
A recent surge in suicide bombings and other violence followed a Taliban announcement that they had launched a ëSpring offensiveí, and comes as NATO members are preparing to send thousands more peacekeeping troops to the country.
Aid organisations linked with Christian churches seem especially vulnerable. Some observers say that the way the medical workers were killed indicates that they may have been accused of apostasy.
Christian Aid is firm in its demarcation between relief work and religious work. It does not support proselytism and it gives aid without regard to peopleís creed. It also cooperates with Muslim groups.