SECRETARY-GENERAL APPALLED AT KILLING OF RED CROSS WORKER IN AFGHANISTAN

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for
Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General was appalled to learn of the brutal killing yesterday of Richard Munguía, a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan.

Mr. Munguía, a 39-year-old water and shelter engineer, was shot by unidentified assailants while en route to the town of Tirin Kot, near Kandahar, where he was assigned to improve the water supply.

The Secretary-General finds it reprehensible that humanitarian workers committed to help people in need are targeted.  He expects the authorities to make every effort to find and detain those responsible for this criminal act.

The Secretary-General wishes to extend his deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Munguía and to his colleagues at the ICRC.

* *** *