Washington, D.C., January 25, 2018 - The recent deadly attack on the compound of Save the Children in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, deeply distresses all of us at the Global Partnership for Education.

We mourn the loss in the assault of four Save the Children staff members and offer our most profound sympathies to their families and co-workers. We also wish for the full and speedy recovery for the many more victims who were wounded in the attack.

Save the Children works closely with the Global Partnership for Education. Its teams in Afghanistan and many other parts of the world are driven by their compassion for the most deprived children and a commitment to a creating better world.  It takes a special courage and empathy to work in some of the most challenging and often dangerous contexts to give hope to the children who need it most.

In contrast, those who perpetrated this senseless attack represent an impediment to peace, progress and dignity, for all the world’s children. These perpetrators must be brought to justice.

The work of building a better future must continue. Afghanistan has been a member of the partnership since 2011, and GPE has provided US$56 million over the past seven years to strengthen the country’s education system and provide all children a quality education, particularly girls and those located in remote areas. We will continue to partner in these efforts.

Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims of this atrocity and their families.