Press Statement Kabul, June 15, 2007

Two health workers abducted in Khogiani

Wednesday June 13 two staff members of HealthNet TPO have been abducted in the Khogiani district in the Nangahar Province. According to the clinic manager in Shirzad, medical doctor Mr. Shiraz and driver Mr. Wali Jan left the clinic for Khogiani at noon but they never arrived. Since then they have been missing. In an anonymous phone call received at the district hospital a ransom was demanded against a threat of beheading the two staff of the Dutch NGO. It was furthermore stated that international organisations are a danger for the Afghan population.

Mr. Shiraz and Mr. Wali Jan are members of the vaccination team of HealthNet TPO, a Dutch non-governmental organization that has been working in the Nangahar Province since 1993. In 2002 HealthNet TPO was invited by the Ministry of Public Health to set up a district hospital in Koghiani. Wednesday afternoon Mr. Shiraz and Mr. Wali, both native inhabitants of the Koghiani district, paid a routine visit to the Tutu Clinic in Shirzad where they have last been seen.

The HealthNet TPO staff is shocked by the incident. “Thursday morning we have mobilized our health teams in the Shirzad district to inform them on the incident”, says dr. Nasseem, programme director of HealthNet TPO in the Nangahar Province. “The staff members were very upset when they heard the news of the abduction, especially since Mr. Shiraz and Mr. Wali are native inhabitants of the Khogiani district. Afterwards we visited the families of the Mr. Shiraz and Mr. Wali Jan and extended all the support we are able to provide”.

The local authorities have investigated the incident thoroughly but thus far failed to come up with any leads. HealthNet TPO informed local authorities and the UN, (UNAMA) who offered their assistance in finding the missing health workers. Thursday evening at 11.00 PM (local time) the district hospital in Koghiani received a phone call that a ransom is demanded against a threat of beheading the two staff members of the Dutch NGO. It was furthermore stated that international organizations are a danger for the Afghan population.

HealthNet TPO is currently considering further steps to enable the release of the abducted staff members. Dr. Nasseem: “We urge all persons that can provide any leads on the missing persons to come forward.” For the time being HealthNet TPO has decided to continue their activities in the Khogiani district. “The local people depend on the Afghan staff of HealthNet TPO for access to health care and we cannot let them down”, according to dr. Nasseem. Then again he wants to stress that it's a terrible setback that it are local staff members that have been abducted. “If we can't work here anymore, who else can?” claims dr. Nasseem.

For more information:

Dr. Abdul Majeed Siddiqi
Head of Mission
HealthNet-TPO Afghanistan/Pakistan
Mobile: (+93)(0) 70 29 46 27 
           (+93)(0) 79 33 20 96
Email: hom_hn_tpo@yahoo.com