OTTAWA, 27 AUGUST 2021 – Following the explosion yesterday at Kabul airport, Barbara Grantham, CARE Canada’s President and CEO says: “All Canadians and CARE Canada stand in solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan. All parties must protect civilians and respect the rights and freedoms of all. Today we reiterate our commitment to promoting the rights of everyone in Afghanistan, particularly women and girls.”
Deepmala Mahla, CARE Vice President of Humanitarian Affairs adds: “This is a devastating loss of life, on top of an already terrible context facing the people of Afghanistan right now. No one making the already difficult decision to leave their home out of fear for their safety should ever be a target and we stand with the people of Afghanistan now and going forward.
CARE deplores this senseless act of violence. We call on all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law and human rights obligations to protect the rights and lives of all Afghans, including the right to seek asylum abroad. We must all work harder to prioritize the lives and welfare of Afghans in this context, so no other innocent children lose their lives going forward.
After more than 40 years of conflict, the people of Afghanistan deserve peace, not further instability. All actors involved in Afghanistan need to work to help alleviate the suffering of the tens of millions of Afghans already suffering from food insecurity, recurrent natural disaster, large-scale displacement and poverty.”
Christina Kakaletrismedia@care.ca
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE develops solutions alongside women and girls in developing countries to lift themselves, their families, and their communities out of poverty and out of crisis. CARE stands with women and girls around the world in economic empowerment. We bring women, girls, and their communities together to challenge inequality while facing issues like food insecurity, climate change, and emergency relief in times of crisis or disaster. CARE works in 100 countries around the world.