Italian woman aid worker Missing in Afghanistan

Today I received a copy of an email emergency advisory sent to NGO and other aid workers in Afghanistan. The warning -- which looks like it was sent by a western government or NGO -- was directed to people working with projects for women. Basically this means it was sent mainly or exclusively to women aid workers and others who work with them. I just found out a woman colleague and friend who's working in Afghanistan is paying a personal safety insurance premium that costs in the (oops...) mid-five-four-figures ($US) for one month. Today's sobering email advised workers to be cautious and vigilant and not take risks in their movements and activities. It said they should have a prepared escape plan in case of emergency such as an attack. Then this evening we learned of the abduction of Clementina Cantoni, an Italian working with international aid agency CARE. A CNN article reads, " "CARE International is deeply concerned and calls for her immediate release," the aid agency said in a statement." In the past several years work in international *civilian* initiatives - neither military nor armed - has become more and more precarious. Our prayers are with Clementina Cantoni and our other friends and colleagues working in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

From CNN: "An Italian aid worker was abducted Monday night in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to the Italian Embassy. The woman was identified as Clementina Cantoni, 32, who works for the international aid agency CARE, embassy and CARE officials said. Cantoni was believed to have been abducted around 8:30 p.m. (noon ET) when her unmarked car was stopped as she drove home in Kabul. It was not immediately clear who kidnapped her.

"Cantoni, an aid worker for the last 10 years, has been in Afghanistan since March 2002 and runs a program called "Humanitarian Assistance for the Women of Afghanistan," which provides food assistance and other help to 11,000 widows and their children, according to CARE. ..."