Save the Children has lost two of its people in tragic circumstances this week. In this website we have reported the deaths in service of two of our colleagues in separate incidents in Chad and West Darfur.

Pascal Marlinge, Save the Children UK’s country manager in Chad was shot and killed when he has travelling in a convoy on the road to Fachana to Adre, near the Sudanese border. Abdullah Hamid, a guard who had been working for Save the Children US for years, was killed by multiple shots during a robbery at the truck compound in Geneina, West Darfur.

All of us in the International Save the Children Alliance are profoundly saddened by the loss of our colleagues and outraged by the senseless violence that cut short their lives.

We are grateful for the many expressions of support and condolence that have been coming in to our offices from donors, other non-governmental organisations and the UN agencies. In recent years, the lives of too many aid workers have been lost in similar appalling circumstances and each is a tragic reminder of the great sacrifices made by those who carry out development and humanitarian work among the world’s most vulnerable citizens.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of Abdullah and Pascal and our organisations are doing their best to support and comfort them at this time. Ultimately, the best tribute we can pay them will be the continuation of our work for the health, education and protection of children whose lives have been damaged by armed conflict.

We remain concerned and vigilant for the safety and well-being of all our field workers who give so generously of themselves day after day in the most difficult circumstances to make this a better world for children.

Barry Clarke
Chair, Save the Children Alliance