Kabul, Afghanistan, April 19, 2022 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) condemns the senseless bombing of schools in Kabul, where scores have been injured and children are among those who have lost their lives.
Vicki Aken, IRC Afghanistan Director, said,
“The IRC is stunned and appalled at this needless act of violence that has shaken Kabul today. Our hearts are breaking for those who have been impacted and we send our condolences to the families who are mourning the loss of their children during the holy month of Ramadan.
“Today’s attack took place in the Dasht e Barchi area of Kabul, which has seen some of the largest attacks on school children including last year's attack in May on Sayed-E-Shuhada girl's high school where over 70 girls were killed - including family and friends of IRC staff.
“Such attacks are a shocking indictment of the jeopardy that Afghan civilians are currently living in. The steady increase in attacks against schools and educational institutions must end. Civilians - especially children - must never be a target and the world must see an end to this violence.”
The IRC began work in Afghanistan in 1988, and now works with thousands of villages across eleven provinces, with Afghans making up more than 99% of IRC staff in the country. As Afghanistan struggles to recover from ongoing conflict and natural disasters, the IRC: works with local communities to identify, plan and manage their own development projects, provides safe learning spaces in rural areas, community-based education, cash distribution provides uprooted families with tents, clean water, sanitation and other basic necessities, and helps people find livelihood opportunities as well as extensive resilience programming.