Staff member killed by bomb attack in Pakistan Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe condemns inhuman act of violence

Stuttgart, 16th March 2008. Ender Baskaya, a Turkish woman and staff member of the German non-governmental organisation Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe was killed in a bomb attack on a restaurant in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Saturday. The attack was clearly aimed at foreigners. The Italian restaurant is frequented by diplomats, staff members of non-governmental organisations and journalists. "We are shocked and in mourning after receiving information of the death of our staff member. Our deepest sympathies are now with her husband, son and mother", stated Reverend Cornelia Fuellkrug-Weitzel, director of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe.

50 year old Ender Baskaya was in Pakistan since the disastrous earthquake in October 2005. She worked in the team of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe to assist thousands of victims with emergency relief and rehabilitation of their livelihoods. The blast occurred in a garden dining area, killing Ender Baskaya instantly and wounding 11 other people. "We are horrified about this senseless and inhuman act of violence", said Fuellkrug-Weitzel. The president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, also condemned this act. Ender Baskaya was married and leaves behind a 12 year old son. Since 1987 she worked for Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. She was in charge of many relief and recovery operations after disasters in Turkey, managed refugee camps, and emergency response operations in the war-affected areas of the Balkans and the Caucasus.

Only few days after the earthquake in October 2005 Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe distributed essential supplies, like warm clothes and food, to the victims of the hardest hit districts Salmiah and Chikar, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. After the relief phase, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe successfully assisted victims of the earthquake in the rehabilitation of local infrastructure. The ongoing project work also includes preventive measures as training on earthquake-resistant construction of houses.

The number of attacks in Pakistan has increased dramatically in the recent months. Pakistan has been fighting Islamist militants since joining the US-led campaign against terrorism in 2001. In attacks from Taliban and al-Qaida about 1,065 people have died since the beginning of 2007 - most of them civilians.

"Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe has lost with Ender Baskaya a very committed colleague, who dedicated her life to help people who have fallen victim to disasters", declared Fuellkrug-Weitzel.

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