Front Line is deeply saddened by the news of the killing of three staff members of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Afghanistan on 13 August 2008. The IRC advocates on behalf of displaced communities, addressing the root causes of violence and protecting the rights of vulnerable populations.

Further Information

Posted 15/08/2008 On 13 August 2008, Dr Jacqueline Kirk, Nicole Dial and Shirley Case, together with their driver Mohammad Aimal, were attacked and killed as they returned to Kabul from Paktya in Afghanistan in their clearly marked IRC vehicle. The humanitarian aid workers had been meeting with local communities over a two-day period to discuss an IRC project that aids children with disabilities. A fifth passenger in the vehicle, Zabiullah, was severely wounded and taken to Kabul hospital where he is recuperating. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Dr. Jacqueline Kirk had worked with the IRC since 2004 and was a former post-doctoral Research Associate at the McGill Centre for Research and Teaching on Women in the University of Ulster. Her research focused especially on adolescent girls' and young women's education.

Shirley Case worked with the IRC in Afghanistan since June 2008 overseeing the project that gives children with disabilities equal access to education. She had worked previously with CARE in Banda Aceh and Chad.

Nicole Dial worked with the IRC in Afghanistan to provide strategic leadership to the organisation's education and child protection programs.

Mohammad Aimal had worked with the IRC since 2002.