Death of local UN staffer in latest Afghan suicide attack highlights tragic toll of violence against civilians

The bombing is the latest in a series of attacks attributed to the ISIL terrorist group, also known as Da’esh, that have killed or wounded hundreds of people in eastern Afghanistan since mid-June amidst growing political and territorial rivalry between ISIL and the Taliban, according to news reports.

 “There is no justification for such acts of terror,” IOM underscored, calling her “one of thousands of Afghans who form the backbone” of the UN’s daily work in the country “to help the most in need, supporting development and contributing to the restoration of peace and stability.”

According to figures released mid-July by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, known as UNAMA, 1,692 civilians were killed and another 3,430 injured in the first six months of 2018 – a record high number for the first six months of any year, despite an unprecedented ceasefire between the Government and Taliban extremists in mid-June.

Referring to the young IOM worker, Tadamichi Yamamoto, head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, said: “We mourn the loss of our colleague and, in tribute, commit ourselves to re-double our work to serve Afghanistan and its peoples.”

IOM stressed that deliberately targeting civilians and their places of work, such as the department in Jalalabad, is an “appalling crime.” The agency called for the “architects” of the attack to be brought to justice.