Two staff members of Save the Children dead after Myanmar attack
Two members of the Fairfieldbased nonprofit Save the Children were among the 35 people killed in the attack in Myanmar on Christmas Eve, the international humanitarian group said Tuesday.
One of the staff members was a 32-year-old man with a 10month-old son. He had worked at the nonprofit for two years training teachers. The other staff member, a 28-year-old man, had a 3-month-old daughter and joined the nonprofit six years ago.
“The two staff members were both new fathers who were passionate about educating children,” Save the Children said in a press release.
The organization said it will not identify the men for security reasons. It has not said if the two staff members are from Connecticut.
At least 35 people, including women and children, were killed Dec. 24 in an attack by the Myanmar military in the eastern part of the country at Kayah State.
The nonprofit said “the military forced people from their cars, arrested some, killed many and burnt the bodies.”
At the time of the attack, the two staff members were making their way back to their office after working on a humanitarian response in a nearby community. The nonprofit said the staff members were caught up in the attack.
“We have confirmation that their private vehicle was attacked and burned out,” Save the Children said in a press release Christmas Day.
Inger Ashing, the CEO of Save the Children, called the news “absolutely horrifying.”
“Violence against innocent civilians including aid workers is intolerable, and this senseless attack is a breach of International Humanitarian Law,” Ashing said.
“We are shaken by the violence carried out against civilians and our staff, who are dedicated humanitarians, supporting millions of children in need across Myanmar.”
The nonprofit has been working in Myanmar since 1995, providing health care, food, education and child protection programs across the country.
After the incident, Save the Children is temporarily suspending its operations in portions of the country, including Kayah, Chin and parts of Magway and Kayin.
“However, we remain fully committed to helping the most vulnerable children in Myanmar, especially during this time of conflict and crisis,” the nonprofit said in a press release.
Save the Children is a Fairfield-based nonprofit that provides health, education and protection programs for kids around the world.
The organization also advocates for children’s needs during disasters and delivers emergency care during these crises, according to its website.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the attack was “horrifying and a blatant breach of international law and humanitarian standards.”
“The senseless, tragic murders of these innocent civilians are only the most recent tragedies among horrific waves of violence and human rights abuse in the region,” he said.
Blumenthal also said he will “demand that the culprits be held accountable” by international officials like the United Nations Security Council, as well as the United States.