On May 29, the Red Cross provincial office came under attack. First of all, one suicide bomber exploded the explosives in the front of the building and then two other militants entered and started fighting with security personnel similar to rest of attacks organized and planned by insurgent nowadays. The incident left security guard dead and two of its employee injured.
The attack came as shock for the Red Cross committee. In spite of being engaged in the very society for so long time and even during Taliban when all foreign NGOs suspended their activities, Red Cross Committee continued helping poor Afghans. Therefore, after the attack, the organization closed its office in Jalalabad where thousands of people were benefiting directly from its activities and suspended its activities across the country indefinitely.
A similar attack was carried out in Kabul on International Organization of Migration, IOM. The reasons behind such attacks are not clear. Are Taliban militants against such charity organizations? If yes, why they did not close their offices during their regime?
More regretfully, however, the committee worked for 30 years and during this time helped more than hundred thousands of Afghans, but reaction of civilians against the attack was so disappointing. No community elders and influential person from the community condemned such attack. It shows that Afghan people still have a bad concept or view about such organizations.
They think that they must have any political reason for such humanitarian work; otherwise, how is it possible that they come and helps them. Such mentality is further strengthened as radicals and even local religious leaders reluctantly agree that people should refer to foreign charity organizations. Because they fear that such NGOs might indirectly propagate Christianity.
Such mentality can easily be used by militants. It is highly possible that insurgent can use easily an individual whose father or brother were the direct beneficiary of the charity organization against it.
Secondly, it shows desperate activities of militants. However, they tried their best to put spectacular attacks, but in spite of their loss, failed to maximize the number of casualties. So, they are trying to spark fear among people through attacking on organizations which are not well-guarded because they are humanitarian and non-political and were not the main target of al-Qaeda elements. By targeting such NGOs, they are trying to show that they still have the potential to create serious problems for political and security organizations.