KABUL: Officials in Afghanistan said gunmen had shot dead at least five polio vaccinators and injured several others in separate attacks in eastern Nangarhar province.
According to Nangarhar provincial police spokesman, the workers were gunned down in three separate locations within hours in a “coordinated attack”. “This is the work of the Taliban, targeting health workers to deprive people of polio vaccines,” he added.
Health ministry spokesman Osman Taheri confirmed the attacks. Meanwhile, the Taliban denied responsibility. Officials say the Taliban do not allow door-to-door vaccination campaigns in areas they control.
The inoculation drive in the province has now been halted, a health official said. “These were all targeted attacks against polio vaccinators, and for now we have stopped all polio vaccination drives in Nangarhar province,” the official.
A top United Nations official, Ramiz Alakbarov, condemned Tuesday’s attacks. “Depriving children from an assurance of a healthy life is inhumane,” Alakbarov said, adding, “Senseless violence must stop now, those responsible must be investigated and brought to justice.”
Polio immunization campaigns are a vital and effective way to reach millions of children to protect them against polio. Depriving children from an assurance of a healthy life is inhumane.
— Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov (@RamizAlakbarov) June 15, 2021
“We have reached a situation where systematically employees of demining, doctor, nurse, vaccinator, human rights defenders and anyone seeking to save our lives and our children are killed,” said Shaharzad Akbar, the head of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission.
Polio has been eradicated across the world apart from Afghanistan and Pakistan, where distrust of vaccines and eradication campaigns is rife. The Taliban and religious leaders often tell communities that vaccines are a Western conspiracy aimed at sterilising Muslim children.
The country has faced a devastating wave of targeted attacks on politicians, activists and journalists which the Afghan government and United States have blamed on the Taliban, who routinely deny responsibility.
Last week 10 people working for the HALO Trust mine-clearing organisation were shot dead in northern Afghanistan. The government said the Taliban were behind the attack, but the UK-based charity said the local militants actually stepped in to help.
