Dutch aid worker abducted in Afghanistan

RNW

A local official in northern Afghanistan has told the French news agency AFP that a Dutch aid worker has been abducted by armed men.

The aid worker and his driver were reportedly abducted in the province of Takhar. The Dutchman works for an organisation assisting disabled people. The hostage takers have reportedly taken their hostages to the neighbouring province of Kunduz.

The authorities in Kunduz have been alerted, and the police and security services are trying to track down the perpetrators. The foreign ministry in The Hague has since confirmed that the aid worker is indeed a Dutch citizen but was unable to provide further information. 

In the past few months, Afghanistan has become increasingly dangerous for aid workers. Ten members of a medical team – six Americans, two Afghans, a German and a Briton were attacked and killed in the neighbouring province of Badakshan in August. The attack took place when they returned to Kabul from a mission in the north of the country.

Last month, a British aid worker was abducted in the province of Kunar in eastern Afghanistan. She was accidentally killed by a grenade thrown by US soldiers during an attempt to free her.

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