Geneva. Late Monday night on September 5, an armed group launched an attack in front of the main gate of the Kabul office of CARE International. The incident continued through the early Tuesday morning with damages sustained to the CARE compound. CARE is currently assessing the situation and at this time, it is unclear who the direct target of the attack was.
“First and foremost, we are relieved that all of our staff in Kabul are safe and accounted for. They are currently being checked and will receive support as needed,” said Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary General and CEO of CARE International. “This incident shows the unfortunate daily reality of violence for many Afghan families, for whom the humanitarian needs continue to be immense.”
According to the UN, over 5,100 civilians have been killed or maimed by the ongoing conflict in the first half of 2016 alone. Over eight million people in Afghanistan are in need of humanitarian assistance, suffering from malnutrition, a disruption of health services and continuous displacement. The majority of the displaced are women and children.
“The environment for humanitarian work has become much riskier in recent years, especially in areas where there is intense conflict. Despite this we are keen to continue the important work we are doing in Afghanistan as soon as possible. That said, we are lucky that no one was seriously hurt or worse, and as an organization we continue to stress that a strict line must be observed between military and humanitarian operations,” Jamann said.
CARE, as an impartial and independent aid organization has been working in Afghanistan for over 50 years, supporting the poorest communities with education programs, relief supplies after natural disasters, and livelihood assistance.
More about our work in Afghanistan here.
Media contact: Clare Spurrell, [email protected] Skype: clare_spurrell Mobile : +41 (0) 793 79 89 52
About CARE:
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed. CARE places special focus on women and children, who are often disproportionately affected by disasters.