Afghan Aid Group Slams Taliban for Abduction of Staff

The Afghan Red Crescent Society has slammed Taliban insurgents for allegedly kidnapping a local humanitarian volunteer April 11 in Helmand, IRIN reports. The abducted aid worker was released two days later after he paid the insurgents 20,000 Pakistani rupees (about USD240), said provincial ARCS head Ahmadullah Ahmadi. ARCS is supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“Detention and extortion perpetrated on a volunteer who is working freely and impartially to alleviate human suffering is unjustifiable,” said Ahmadi.

The Afghanistan NGO Safety Office has recorded at least 33 incidents involving attack on non-governmental organizations in the first quarter of 2010.