IRC staff member killed in attack in Jalalabad, Afghanistan

Kabul, Afghanistan, July 31, 2018 —  International Rescue Committee (IRC) staff member Fareedullah (Fareed) Noori was killed today in an attack on an Afghanistan government Ministry of Refugees and Returnees office in the city of Jalalabad. There are reports of at least 15 casualties and many more injured, as a suicide car bomb was detonated, followed by a gun fight that took place over several hours.

Fareed had worked for the IRC in Afghanistan since 2010 as a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene engineer. The IRC is working closely with the family and colleagues as we seek more information about this terrible attack.

Sanna Johnson, IRC Regional Vice President for Asia, said:

“We condemn this sickening attack on a humanitarian coordination meeting, where aid workers and government officials were discussing how best to help vulnerable Afghans.

“We are devastated by the loss of Fareed and we are doing all we can to support his family and IRC colleagues at this difficult time. Aid workers must never be a target and Fareed's death is an all too painful example of the extraordinary risks IRC's aid workers take to improve the lives of the most vulnerable in their communities.

"Whenever there was an emergency, Fareed was always the first in the field to help with whatever was needed. His deep relationships with the communities we work in was vital - and our teams relied on him to resolve issues with communities whenever they arose. 

"As one of our lead responders to humanitarian needs in Nangarhar, Fareed was representing IRC at an emergency meeting at the time of the attack. He was killed doing the work of helping others, which he was so committed to.

“Fareed supported his brothers, who are devastated by their loss, and he leaves behind 4 children – 2 girls, 2 boys, all under the age of 9.

“The IRC is committed to continuing its extensive programming in Nangarhar and throughout its seven other field offices in Afghanistan. The spirit of Fareed’s memory and work will continue."

IRC in Afghanistan

The IRC opened its country program in Afghanistan in 1988. Today, the Jalalabad office in Nangarhar province is IRC Afghanistan’s largest field operation, with nearly 200 staff implementing seven projects. IRC programs in Nangarhar focus on emergency response, child protection, education, economic wellbeing, and health. Nangarhar currently hosts the largest population of returnees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in the country, and the IRC provides lifesaving support to crisis-affected families.

The IRC operates community based schools for Afghan children, while at the same time improving the quality of teaching and of the learning environment, ensuring that children from returnee, IDP and host communities are safe, secure and healthy. The IRC also supports livelihoods opportunities through income-generation activities including skills training and apprenticeships. As part of its health work in Nangarhar, the IRC screens children for malnutrition and trains midwives and other medical staff on infant and young child feeding.