Aid workers now face greater risk of attack

THE recent tragic events in which the Plan International programme office in Mansehra, Pakistan, was attacked by gunmen killing four aid workers and critically injuring another underlines once again the hazards that are toofrequently encountered in delivering aid programmes in a world where there are far too many guns.

Aid work by its very nature often takes place in inhospitable regions, but it is a sad fact that in recent years intentional violence accounts for far more aid worker deaths than accidents or illness and local aid workers are more likely to be targeted than their ex-pat colleagues.

It may seem that attacks on aid workers are becoming more common, but this has to be seen in the context that there are almost twice as many people working on aid programmes today than there were 10 years ago.