The International Rescue Committee is gradually restarting humanitarian aid programs in Afghanistan that were halted following an August 13 attack on an IRC vehicle that killed four IRC aid workers and left a fifth seriously wounded.
The decision to resume selected, limited program activities was taken after a rigorous security review. Increased safety measures for staff have since been put in place.
The IRC continues to mourn the tragic loss of Mohammad Aimal, Shirley Case, Nicole Dial and Jackie Kirk who were en route to Kabul when their car was ambushed two months ago. They were returning from the south east, where they were working on programs to improve services for disabled children.
The IRC immediately suspended programs to give devastated staff time to grieve and to conduct a thorough assessment of its ability to operate in the country.
"We are committed to staying and helping Afghanistan to recover and develop," says Ciaran Donnelly, who oversees IRC programs in Afghanistan. "We hope to be able to phase-in additional aid programs if and when the security situation allows."
The IRC has been providing humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan for more than 20 years.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Congolese refugees walk past U.N. peacekeepers outside the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo offices in Goma, October 30, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO) ...
