The United Nations expressed concern about increasing danger to aid workers in Afghanistan Sunday, after nine were killed in two incidents within a week, dpa reported.
Six Afghan employees for a French aid agency were executed by militants in the northern province of Faryab, and three others working on a village development project in the southern province of Uruzgan were killed by a bomb last week.
"The tragic incidents illustrate the growing risks surrounding the delivery of aid and the increasing disrespect for humanitarian personnel in Afghanistan," a UN report said.
"I am extremely concerned with this trend at a time when the country is in the midst of a difficult transition that may lead to increased humanitarian needs," said Mark Bowden, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan.
The international agency reported 237 incidents against aid workers, facilities and assets this year.
"These account for 36 deaths, 24 detentions, 46 injuries and the abduction of 72 personnel," it said.