SWITZERLAND: UNITED NATIONS REFUGEES AGENCY CONDEMNS THE KILLING OF ITS AID WORKER IN AFGHANISTAN

Record ID: 275186

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: UNITED NATIONS REFUGEES AGENCY CONDEMNS THE KILLING OF ITS AID WORKER IN AFGHANISTAN
  • Date: 17th November 2003
  • Summary: (U3) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (NOVEMBER 17, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV/SV EXTERIORS OF UNHCR BUILDING IN GENEVA (2 SHOTS) 0.12 2. SV OF UNHCR SPOKESPERSON KRIS JANOWSKI SPEAKING TO REPORTER 0.14 3. MCU (English) JANOWSKI SAYING "In response to the murder of Bettina Goislard, UNHCR will have to review its security situation in Afghanistan. Of course
  • Embargoed: 2nd December 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SWITZERLAND, GENEVA
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Reuters ID: LVADXEDYHC41I492W8J5UDOVL66K
  • Story Text: United Nations refugees agency condemns the killing
    of its aid worker in Afghanistan.


    Bettina Goislard, a 29-year-old French woman working for UNHCR (U.N.

    High Commissioner for Refugees) was shot dead on Sunday (November 16) in the
    Afghan town of Ghazni when two men on a motorcycle opened fire on her vehicle
    with a pistol.

    She was the first among U.N. international staff in Afghanistan since the
    fall of the Taliban to U.S.-led forces two years ago.

    Speaking at the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva on Monday (November 17), UNHCR
    spokesperson Kris Janowski expressed his sadness at the news of Goislard's
    death and said security would have to be revised by the authorities in
    Afghanistan.

    Local authorities in the town to the southwest of the capital Kabul have
    arrested two gunmen and said they believed the killers were rebels from the
    ousted Taliban regime which has staged a comeback in parts of the country in
    recent months.

    Goislard had been in Ghazni since June 2002, after also working for the
    UNHCR in Rwanda and Guinea. She was pronounced dead on arrival at a local
    hospital.

    Local driver Abdul Salam Sadid was shot in the arm but is in stable
    condition, while field assistant Ali Mohammad ducked away from the firing and
    was unhurt.

    U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has also condemned the attack as
    "outrageous and contemptible".


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