US-funded Afghan 'aid groups' reel in wake of Taliban attacks

Kabul: Humanitarian groups were reeling Thursday from yet another attack targeting aid workers in Afghanistan, as authorities confirmed nine people had been killed in a Taliban assault in Kabul a day earlier.

The targeting of Counterpart International, a US-funded non-profit group working with marginalised people, highlights the continued vulnerability of aid groups across Afghanistan, where some organisations have been forced to suspend operations or pare their presence.

Wednesday's attack came during the holy month of Ramadan, and as US and Taliban officials were meeting in Qatar for peace talks — throwing into question the progress of ongoing negotiations.

Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the death toll from a car bomb and follow-up attack in central Kabul had risen from five to nine.

Among the victims were three workers — a driver, a watchman and a technical advisor — from anti-poverty group CARE, whose offices are next to Counterpart.

"This attack reflects the increasing dangers of humanitarian work in conflict-affected countries such as Afghanistan and the unfortunate daily reality of violence for many Afghan families," CARE said in a statement.

Afghanistan was once a hub of foreign aid but deteriorating security in recent years has seen international groups shrink their footprint, making it even more difficult to deliver desperately needed help to the war-torn country's most vulnerable citizens.

Last year was particularly deadly. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 30 aid workers were killed in 2018, compared to 19 in 2017, and 16 in 2016.

British aid group Save the Children suspended operations across Afghanistan following a 2018 Islamic State group attack on its compound in the eastern city of Jalalabad that killed three employees and wounded several others.

Ann Hudock, Counterpart's president and CEO, said attackers had targeted "innocent civilians, development professionals who dedicate their lives to improving the lives of Afghanistan's most vulnerable, including women, youth, and the disabled".

The Taliban, known for their brutal repression and isolation of women before their ouster in 2001, said they targeted Counterpart because it promoted the "inter-mixing" of men and women.