The aid workers are all too often considered to be agents of the “hypocritical” or “apostate” government which deserves those epithets because it works with the Great Satan. “Attacks on Aid Workers Rise in Afghanistan, U.N. Says,” by Rod Nordland for the New York Times, December 2 (thanks to Kenneth):
KABUL, Afghanistan “” The number of aid workers killed in Afghanistan has more than tripled this year, making the country by far the most dangerous place in the world for relief work, according to data released by United Nations officials here.
Officials were reluctant to attribute the increase to any single factor. But in a number of recent cases, Taliban insurgents have openly claimed responsibility “” despite espousing an official policy that rejects attacks on humanitarian workers.
“We are looking at the situation with concern about what are clearly increasing numbers of aid workers affected by the conflict,” said Mark Bowden, the humanitarian coordinator for the United Nations here.
Through November, he said, there were 237 attacks on Afghanistan’s aid workers, with 36 people killed, 46 wounded and 96 detained or abducted. Last year, there were 175 attacks, with 11 people killed, 26 wounded and 44 detained or abducted.
“The nature of the fighting has changed,” Mr. Bowden said. “You have more disseminated ground-level fighting than you”ve had before, and this has come as a result of a change of tactics by handing over the fighting to the Afghan national security forces. So civilian casualties have increased dramatically this year, so obviously you”re seeing more widespread displacement of people as well.”
International aid makes up a vast majority of Afghan economic activity. And continuing such assistance after the 2014 American military withdrawal is a central part of security planning.
“I think it’s just that we don’t have any more ISAF in the field, so these people who are on a jihad, they need someone to attack “” so we are the target because we are out there,” said the head of a humanitarian organization, who did not wish to be named criticizing any side in the conflict. ISAF is the International Security Assistance Force, the American-led military coalition….