Many of you will have heard of the attacks that took place in Afghanistan on the 6th December. By way of reassurance to you all with regards the safety of our staff team in Afghanistan, please see briefing below from Bethan Williams, our Programme Manager for Afghanistan:

Twin attacks occurred in both Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif at around midday or 7.30 GMT on 6th December and were caused by suicide bombers. Children in Crisis does not operate in Mazar-e-Sharif. In Kabul the bomb went off near to the Abu Fazal Shrine where hundreds of Shias were gathered. Around 55 people were thought to have been killed in Kabul and 150 injured. The Abu Fazal shrine is located in the South of the City near to the Centre. Children in Crisis’ main office is located to the North-West of the City the other side of the city centre and the mountains which divide the capital.

Since yesterday was a public holiday our Kabul office and all community based education centres were closed and our one expat member of staff was advised to stay indoors aware that such an obvious Shia presence on the streets has the potential to cause conflict. All staff would also have been advised to avoid the Shia shrines.

In this case, therefore, disruption to Children in Crisis’ work or the safety of our staff is minimal but we are nonetheless aware of the importance of monitoring this new turn in Afghanistan's conflict.

Some background to the situation

Yesterday marked Ashura, a celebration at the end of the Islamic month of Muharram, or the month of mourning for the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's Grandson. Whilst it is celebrated by all Muslims, it is particularly important for Shia and is arguably the most important date in the Shia calendar. This day is a public holiday in Afghanistan and impromptu shrines are set up all over the city and black flags fly from temporary flagpoles. Overnight from the 5th-6th December there would have been processions through the streets of Kabul by Shia groups.

There is always concern that this will cause conflict between the Shia minority and the Sunni majority population but up until this point there have been smaller scale incidents but no large-scale attacks. In fact Afghanistan has not suffered from the same Sectarian division which was a particular mark of the war in Iraq or ongoing security issues in Pakistan. There is a 'Brotherhood Council of Shia and Sunni clerics' who work together to ensure harmony between the communities. Ethnic conflict in Afghanistan is, however, rife and Sunni and Shia are roughly divided along ethnic lines meaning that a Shia target could be seen as an attack on the Tajik or Hazara minority ethnic groups.

Thank you for any concern for the safety of our staff in Kabul. Feel free to contact us: info@childrenincrisis.org should you have any questions. 

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