March 31, 2003
Doctors Without Borders Strongly Condemns Killing of ICRC Staff Member in Afghanistan

Kandahar, Afghanistan, March 31, 2003 -- The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is shocked and appalled by the killing of a staff member of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Ricardo Munguía, a water and habitat engineer, was shot in cold blood on March 27 in Uruzgan province, southern Afghanistan. MSF shares the grief and outrage of Mr Munguía's family, friends, and colleagues, and expresses its sincerest condolences to his loved ones.

MSF is also working in southern Afghanistan and is very worried about the deteriorating security situation. It is of great concern that violence has now been directed towards humanitarian workers. Humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan is of the utmost importance due to the large numbers of displaced and drought-affected populations living under catastrophic conditions in a destabilized and violent context.