Norwegian aid worker killed in Afghanistan

“We were deeply grieved by the news that the Norwegian aid worker Egil KristianTynæs was killed in Afghanistan yesterday while on assignment for Doctors Without Borders. It is very tragic that yet another Norwegian national has been killed in Afghanistan while working for peace and stability in the country,” said Foreign Minister Jan Petersen.

Humanitarian aid workers have been working for many years to help the Afghan people, regardless of which government is in power. We note with great concern that civilian aid workers are increasingly being targeted by elements seeking to destabilise the country, both from criminal groups and from groups with links to terrorist movements.

Three Norwegian nationals have been killed in Afghanistan in the space of a short time. The tragic killings of a humanitarian aid worker, an ISAF soldier and a tourist underscore the considerable security challenges the Afghan authorities and the international community are facing in the country.

“Afghanistan will need international support for a long time to come, both for stabilising the country and for reconstruction. We all have a responsibility to assist in these efforts,” said the Foreign Minister.