Save the Children Statement on Kabul School Bomb Attack

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (May 8, 2021) – Save the Children has issued the following statement after today’s bomb attack at a school in west Kabul in Afghanistan:

Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children’s Country Director in Afghanistan, said:

 “We are outraged by the bomb attack which took place at a school in west Kabul today and took the lives of 30 people, including many school children. The children were leaving school when this horrendous attack took place. Schools should be safe havens for children and not zones of war. It is appalling that girls once again have been targeted. These children are innocent victims of this conflict that they have no part in.

“We call upon all parties to the conflict to do everything they can to protect civilians and schools in this brutal war. We have seen time and time again how explosive weapons used in densely populated areas or on roadsides can kill everything in their path indiscriminately. And in Afghanistan, it’s children who are bearing the brunt of this. No child should face the risk of being killed or maimed, let alone when they're at school - where they should be safe from harm. A peaceful and productive future for Afghanistan relies on the protection and education of its children.

“Save the Children calls on all sides to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law, endorse the Safe Schools Declaration, avoid targeting schools and civilian infrastructure as well as ensure the safety and protection of children.”