UN DEPLORES DEADLY BOMBING IN AFGHANISTAN

UN DEPLORES DEADLY BOMBING IN AFGHANISTAN New York, Sep 14 2008 4:10PM The United Nations has condemned this morning's suicide bombing in a south-eastern Afghan town that targeted a UN convoy taking part in a polio eradication programme.

Three members of the convoy were killed in the explosion, which occurred about 9:40 a.m. in the town of Spin Boldak, which lies close to the Pakistani border in Kandahar province.

In a joint statement, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) said several bystanders were caught in the blast and more information is now being sought on their status.

The three convoy members who were killed were all Afghan nationals: a driver for UNAMA, and two doctors working under contract for WHO as part of a campaign to eliminate polio in the region.

Kai Eide, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and the head of UNAMA, and Peter Graaff, the WHO representative to the country, said in the joint statement that the UN has contacted the families of the victims to inform them about the attack.

"The thoughts of the entire United Nations family in Afghanistan are with those who died, and their loved ones," Mr. Eide and Mr. Graaff said. "This attack was on innocent civilians working only for the people of Afghanistan, and is beyond comprehension."

2008-09-14 00:00:00.000

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