ACBAR wishes officially to express its disapproval of any attack, intimidation, violence or threats against NGOs working in Afghanistan. We appeal to all parties to the Afghan conflict to respect the neutrality of NGOs and the work they do with the aim of helping people of Afghanistan without implication of the ongoing conflict.
NGOs – both local and international – play a critical role in providing relief and development aid to needy people in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, often in areas where other services providers have limited or no access.
Any attack, intimidation, violence or threat against NGO interests, beneficiaries or assets will ultimately result in delays in aid implementation, which will in turn have a negative impact on the welfare of the rights holders – the people of Afghanistan – and particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.
We, as Non-Governmental Organizations working in Afghanistan, are asking all parties to the conflict and among them the Government of Afghanistan and the international community supporting the election process, to protect NGOs staff and the access to healthcare and education facilities.
Voter registration and voting in healthcare facilities are endangering both the health personnel and the patients and their families, while in schools, they undermine the right of the Afghan children to receive an education and endanger them and their teachers.
Therefore ACBAR would like to raise its concerns regarding two recent incidents: the attack of a school in Kandahar on March 27th and the occupation of an NGO compound by Afghan Local Police in Nangarhar the 4th April.
We would like to restate that NGOs in Afghanistan are committed to respect humanitarian principles; the general principles which we adhere to are listed below. As such, the work of NGOs should be respected and protected by all parties.
The full article continues at http://www.acbar.org/files/downloads/Statement%20protection%20HF%20and%20Schools%20VF.pdf on ACBAR’s website.