Aid Workers Killed in Yemen

Published June 15, 2009 @ 08:41AM PT

Nine aid workers and family members (including children) were killed in northern Yemen over the weekend.

According to Voice of America, the adults worked for an international aid organization, assisting at a hospital in Saada. I have not been able to track down the name of the organization.

The group - which included Germans, Britons, and a South Korean - were reportedly kidnapped a few days ago while out on a picnic. (Other reports mention that seven of nine were killed.)

This brings the total number of aid workers killed this year to fifty-six.

Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and colleagues.

[Photo of Saada from www.panoramio.com]

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The official death toll has been "at least three" (two German women and the Korean) for the past day, as there's been no definite word on the others. (However, during much of Monday, the reported toll was indeed seven or nine.)

Most stories have identified the group for which the victims were working as the Dutch organization World Wide Services Foundation (although I haven't been able to dig up a website for it yet). Both DPA (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/273434,extra-german-victims-of-yemen-killings-were-theology-students.html) and AFP (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hcdow08p9tOiMW6MohNhvNPhj8kQ) are reporting that the two Germans were students at a German bible college who were also working for the Dutch group.

The full Google News cluster is at http://news.google.com/news?pz=1&ned=us&hl=en&topic=w&ncl=deFnwiHT74aEdCMSfAbAX_vM_0eYM&cf=all&scoring=n.

Posted by Eric Jon Magnuson on 06/16/2009 @ 09:48AM PT
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Eric - thanks much, as always

Posted by Michael Bear on 06/19/2009 @ 01:19PM PT
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Michael has worked for NGOs in Afghanistan, across east and central Africa, and Iraq. Prior to going overseas, he worked on a project providing assistance to the United Nations on the application of International Humanitarian Law to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.