United Nations Radio

John Holmes, the UN humanitarian chief, today strongly condemned the killing of the Director of the NGO Save the Children in Chad.

Pascal Marlinge, a French national, was killed when a three-vehicle humanitarian convoy was stopped by two armed men in uniform. The incident occurred about 20 kilometers east of Farchana, on the road to the town of Andre in eastern Chad.

Mr.Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, called the targeting of humanitarian workers who are in Chad to help those suffering from civil strife "an inexcusable crime", and said it was likely to exacerbate the already challenging conditions in which humanitarian workers continue to provide relief to those in need.

The attack was the second targeting of a humanitarian worker in Chad in less than a year. Gunmen shot and killed a driver working for UNHCR late last year.

Diane Bailey, United Nations Radio

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