Just how dangerous is it...?
Monday, October 01, 2007
I am currently travelling through Europe. The number question on peoples lips is:
"Just how dangerous is it...?"
I always start my answer with: "Well it depends on your personal level of what is dangerous......"
ANSO is a NGO that provides information to NGO workers on current security activity with in Afghanistan. This is what they had to say this week:
Assessment: Wardak has seen a significant escalation in AOG activity in the last 4 months with 5 NGO staff kidnapped in the province since July. All have subsequently been released within a few days unharmed and so it is anticipated that this case will follow that form. The incident highlights the relative vulnerability of humanitarian agencies in the area however and demonstrates that even agencies employing excellent security management protocols can be successfully targeted.
Advisory: Since June of this year kidnapping has emerged as a leading threat to NGO. ANSO records demonstrate more than 350 people have been kidnapped across the country this year with about 77 of those working for NGO. Although most kidnapping cases end peacefully within 6 - 8 weeks (the notable exception being the murder to two of the South Korean abductees) the sheer volume of kidnapping and the apparent ease with which they can be undertaken in many areas should be cause for alarm.
It is clear at this point that NGO need to consider themselves as attractive and (relative to other actors) easy kidnap victims for both criminal and AOG groups.
"Just how dangerous is it...?"
I always start my answer with: "Well it depends on your personal level of what is dangerous......"
ANSO is a NGO that provides information to NGO workers on current security activity with in Afghanistan. This is what they had to say this week:
Assessment: Wardak has seen a significant escalation in AOG activity in the last 4 months with 5 NGO staff kidnapped in the province since July. All have subsequently been released within a few days unharmed and so it is anticipated that this case will follow that form. The incident highlights the relative vulnerability of humanitarian agencies in the area however and demonstrates that even agencies employing excellent security management protocols can be successfully targeted.
Advisory: Since June of this year kidnapping has emerged as a leading threat to NGO. ANSO records demonstrate more than 350 people have been kidnapped across the country this year with about 77 of those working for NGO. Although most kidnapping cases end peacefully within 6 - 8 weeks (the notable exception being the murder to two of the South Korean abductees) the sheer volume of kidnapping and the apparent ease with which they can be undertaken in many areas should be cause for alarm.
It is clear at this point that NGO need to consider themselves as attractive and (relative to other actors) easy kidnap victims for both criminal and AOG groups.
