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New York, NY, May 1, 2021 —  Thirty people, including high school students, have tragically lost their lives in a car bomb in Logar province in what could be the first in a line of incidents to mark the dialing down of international support for peace in Afghanistan. 

Vicki Aken, country director for the ̽����ѡ in Afghanistan, said:

“This senseless attack on civilians shows just how perilous the situation in Afghanistan is, especially while the peace process hangs in the balance. Afghanistan remains one of the most dangerous places for civilians and aid workers alike, as well as the world’s deadliest conflict for children - though it should not take violence like what we have seen in Logar to prove this.

“Support from the international community has never been more urgent; smart, targeted, long-term assistance can both bolster the likelihood of a sustainable peace agreement and Afghanistan’s resilience to future shocks. Sustained diplomatic and financial engagement from countries like the US and UK has never been more critical to ensure an inclusive peace process and meaningful improvement in the lives of millions of Afghans.”

Civilian casualties are all too common after four decades of war in Afghanistan. Afghanistan represents the modern face of humanitarian crisis, enduring a triple threat of climate change, conflict and COVID-19. A peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict is the only sustainable solution to meeting chronic needs across the country. The ̽����ѡ welcomes all genuine efforts to forge a lasting and inclusive peace deal between parties to the conflict. 

The ̽����ѡ has been working in Afghanistan since 1988 providing aid to the most vulnerable. With more than 1,700 staff and volunteers, the ̽����ѡ reaches more than a million Afghans each year with education, protection, water and sanitation, emergency response, and economic recovery programs.