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This blog post is taken from Michael Kleinman's change.org blog on humanitarian relief
Just to continue on the theme of aid worker security, some good news and some not-so-good news of late.
First, the good news. Four UN staff kidnapped in Somalia on Monday were released unharmed that same evening.
Similarly, four Medecins Sans Frontieres staff kidnapped in Darfur last week were released over the weekend.
Now the not-so-good news. An aid worker with CARE was killed in Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Mr. R. Sabesan was in the "no-fire zone" established by the Sri Lankan military when he was hit by artillery; he later died of his injuries.
As Patronus Analytical points out, Mr. Sabesan is the second aid worker killed by artillery fire in northern Sri Lanka this month.
In addition, a Peace Corps volunteer was murdered in Benin earlier this month.
As for statistics on aid worker fatalities so far in 2009:
- In Gaza, five UNRWA staff, three UNRWA contractors, and one WFP contractor have been killed since December 27th, with another four staff and six contractors injured. In addition, one aid worker with CARE has also been killed, as have thirteen medical personnel.
- Four aid workers have been killed in Sri Lanka, including two in February and two in March
- Three aid workers have been killed in Mozambique
- Two aid workers have been killed in Somalia
- Two aid workers have been killed in Pakistan
- Two aid workers were killed in Sri Lanka in February, a third aid worker was killed there in March
- Two aid workers have been killed in Darfur
- Two aid workers have been killed in Afghanistan (ANSO report #20, covering February 16th - 28th, 2009)
- One aid worker has been killed in Benin
This is by no means a comprehensive list.
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Michael Kleinman is an aid worker, lawyer, and consultant. From 2004 to 2007 he worked for CARE, first as the organization's Advocacy Advisor in Afghanistan, then covering Sudan, and finally as CARE's Regional Advocacy Advisor for East and Central Africa. He left CARE in early 2007 to take a position with International Relief & Development in Iraq. Prior to going overseas, Michael worked for the Harvard Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research, providing assistance to the United Nations. He is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School. He runs change.org's blog on a 
23 Mar 2009 16:04:17 GMT
Safty of aid workers are coming more and more dangerious in some areas, it was a very happy news aid workers kidnaped in Somalia and Sudan are released safly. It is very sad four aid workers in Northern srilanka were killed during the last two months in the long ethnic cleansing war which has also killed over 3000 in the last three months.
While conveying our deepest condolence to the families of these aid workers who worked like god's angels helping the victims in this crusome war, What is the international society action in stoping this ethnic war and action to prevent further killings of aid workers. SriLankan government has accused LTTE for moving its heavy weaponery into government Army's decleared no fire zone for civilians. But the badly wounded 4000 civilians victims ferried away from the conflict areas by IRC workers to government hospitals in the last two months have never confirmed these accusations. Many aid workers have been killed in the last three years after the present administration came into power. One the largest aid workers 18 of them were killed three years ago in the town of Muttur in eastern Srilanka by security forces in an execution style with hands tied behind. Srilankan government never had any investigation inquiry or arrest regarding this crusome murders and several request from international aid agencies for an impatial inquiry was turned dawn. Safty of aid workers in Srilanka is not half full and half empty, it is an empty glass altogether with nearly 40 of them killed in the last three years alone. Even then many local and international workers are still enrolling to work for the several aid agecies helping the war victims under dangerious and difficult situations. Will the international society will do some justice to all these brutaly murded aid workers by exposing these action by the srilankan government. Already UN commisioner for human rights Naven Pillay have written that these action by the army is liable for war crimes accusation. USA secretary of state Hillar clinton too has raised with the government of srilanka, inspite of all these killing is continuing anabated with hudreds inocent civilians daily.