UN condemns killing of aid worker in Philippines
By Michaela P. del Callar 11/30/2010The United Nations yesterday condemned the killing of a Filipino aid worker in the restive southern Philippines, but said the attack would not affect its food distribution efforts there.
The worker was helping the UN’s World Food Program deliver rations on Friday when a gunman attacked the agency’s truck outside Marawi city on Mindanao island, where many armed groups including Islamic militants operate.
The UN asked the Philippine government to continuously ensure the security of all its staff members in its areas of operation after the Filipino aid worker was killed while distributing relief food to residents in conflict-stricken Mindanao.
UN World Food Program country director Stephen Anderson condemned the attack but assured that it will not suspend its operations in Mindanao. The UN worker, whose name he did not divulge, is a local-hired worker and is not a full-time staff of the WFP.
“WFP strongly deplores this act of wanton violence that has led to the tragic and senseless loss of life of an individual who was assisting in the delivery of humanitarian assistance,” Anderson said in a statement.
The shooting incident occurred while a WFP contracted truck was off-loading rice and mung beans for the organization’s food-for-work distribution on Nov. 26, in Barangay Maul, Marantao, Lanao del Sur, which resulted in the death of the truck driver’s assistant..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20101130hed3.html
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