After nearly a quarter-century of administering medical aid to Afghanis, MSF has called it quits, due to targeting of aid workers:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3931995.stm "...Kenny Gluck, head of MSF operations in Afghanistan, criticised the Afghan government's failure to prosecute those responsible for the deaths of the MSF workers in the 2 June attack. "Government officials have let us know that they have credible evidence about the identity of the killers but they have not been willing so far to arrest them and bring them to justice," Mr Gluck said. "We think this is sending a message of impunity for the killing of aid workers... "...Phil Halton, manager of an organisation that offers security advice to aid agencies, told the BBC that he was not surprised at MSF's decision as the number of aid staff killed this year was already double last year's total. Three European and two Afghan staff died in the attack on MSF in north-west Afghanistan in June. "A Taleban spokesman said it carried out the attack, saying MSF staff were working for American interests. Police arrested 13 people but all were later released and investigations are continuing. "The MSF statement also refers to the fact that humanitarian workers have increasingly become the target of violence in the country, something that never happened even during the worst periods of factional fighting in the 1990s..." The MSF statement (in part): http://www.msf.ca/ "With a deep feeling of sadness and anger M�decins Sans Fronti�res (MSF) announces today the closure of all medical programs in Afghanistan. MSF is taking this decision in the aftermath of the killing of five MSF aid workers in a deliberate attack on June 2nd , when a clearly marked MSF vehicle was ambushed in the north-western province of Badghis. Five of our colleagues were mercilessly shot in the attack. This targeted killing of five of its aid workers is unprecedented in the history of MSF, which has been delivering medical humanitarian assistance in some of the most violent conflicts around the world over the last 30 years. "Although government officials have presented MSF with credible evidence that local commanders conducted the attack, they have neither detained nor publicly called for their arrest. The lack of government response to the killings represents a failure of responsibility and an inadequate commitment to the safety of aid workers on its soil. "In addition, following the assassinations, a Taliban spokesperson claimed responsibility for the murders and stated later that organisations like MSF work for American interests, are therefore targets, and would be at risk of further attacks. This false accusation is particularly unjustified as MSF honours the separation of aid from political motives as a founding principle. The sole aim of the organisation is to provide assistance to populations in distress in the name of medical ethics and solely based on their needs. This threat undeniably constitutes a refusal by the Taliban to accept independent and impartial humanitarian action... "...Only recently, on May 12, 2004, MSF publicly condemned the distribution of leaflets by the coalition forces in southern Afghanistan in which the population was informed that providing information about the Taliban and al Qaeda was necessary if they wanted the delivery of aid to continue. "Humanitarian assistance is only possible when armed actors respect the safety of humanitarian workers, more than 30 of whom have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2003. The killing of our colleagues, the government's failure to arrest the culprits and the false allegations by the Taliban has regrettably made it impossible for MSF to continue providing assistance to the Afghan people." This may domino into other NGOs leaving, which can only be detrimental to reconstruction of the country. Debbi "Blood on the windows Millions of ordinary people are there They gaze at the scenery..." >From 'Domino,' Genesis (the band) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
