Christoph
18-09-06, 14:53
Season of sorrow for UN aid workers
By Jan Egeland
For those who strive to save the world’s sick and wounded, this season has been among the worst of times. Too many days begin with desperate calls from colleagues, telling us that more humanitarian workers have been ambushed, kidnapped or killed in the line of duty.
But the tragedy does not end there. The assaults sever the lifeline of hope that unarmed aid workers provide to millions of desperate and destitute families in Darfur, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan among other hot spots in the world. These attacks must end.
Last month, 17 Action Against Hunger humanitarian aid workers in Sri Lanka were executed in the north-eastern town of Muttur. We await the results of the investigation and call for prosecution of those responsible. Two more aid workers were killed in Sri Lanka in August: 19 deaths in one month alone.
In Darfur, Sudan, last week’s death of an International Rescue Committee humanitarian worker brings to 13 the number of aid workers killed since the Darfur Peace Agreement was signed in May — more deaths than in the past two years combined. More than 25 humanitarian vehicles have also been hijacked or attacked in the past two months.
http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143958228
By Jan Egeland
For those who strive to save the world’s sick and wounded, this season has been among the worst of times. Too many days begin with desperate calls from colleagues, telling us that more humanitarian workers have been ambushed, kidnapped or killed in the line of duty.
But the tragedy does not end there. The assaults sever the lifeline of hope that unarmed aid workers provide to millions of desperate and destitute families in Darfur, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan among other hot spots in the world. These attacks must end.
Last month, 17 Action Against Hunger humanitarian aid workers in Sri Lanka were executed in the north-eastern town of Muttur. We await the results of the investigation and call for prosecution of those responsible. Two more aid workers were killed in Sri Lanka in August: 19 deaths in one month alone.
In Darfur, Sudan, last week’s death of an International Rescue Committee humanitarian worker brings to 13 the number of aid workers killed since the Darfur Peace Agreement was signed in May — more deaths than in the past two years combined. More than 25 humanitarian vehicles have also been hijacked or attacked in the past two months.
http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143958228