Hostility Hurts the Needy

Humanitarian aid workers often find themselves torn in hostile situations, where the most needy are often the hardest to reach due to security issues. Yesterday, an aid worker with Save the Children was shot and killed when her convoy was attacked by gunman. Rebels often attack aid fleets in order to steal food, medication, and other supplies, making it difficult for aid workers to reach the most needy. As a result of this fatal attack, Save the Children has suspended their operations in Eastern Chad, indefinitely, and other aid organizations have suspended their operations there for two days. This a region overwhelmed with about 250,000 refugees from neighboring Darfur and over 100,000 displaced Chadians. Unfortunately, though the fatality of this attack was shocking, there have been at least 70 aid agency vehicles hijacked in Chad in the past two years, including the non-fatal shooting of a UNICEF worker.