AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CON-demns the Taliban’s attack that killed at least six civilian UN staff in Kabul.

The Taliban took responsibility for the incident and threatened to carry out more such attacks in the run-up to the second round of the highly contested presidential election scheduled on Nov. 7.

This is the worst attack on the UN in Afghanistan since the United States and its allies helped oust the Taliban in 2001.

Amnesty International reminds the Taliban that attacks targeting civilians constitute war crimes. If, as the Taliban suggest, the attack is part of a widespread or systematic strategy targeting the civilian population, carried out in pursuit of the Taliban’s policy of disrupting the upcoming elections, then the attack could also constitute a crime against humanity.

War crimes and crimes against humanity are among the most serious crimes under international law. Amnesty International calls on the Taliban to immediately end such attacks. Those suspected of carrying out the attacks or ordering them must be brought to justice.

Millions of Afghans remain dependent on international assistance for basic needs such as food, water, healthcare and education. The attack on the UN significantly harms the already constrained ability of aid workers to assist Afghans, particularly those in conflict-affected areas in the country’s south and east.

—MARIA EDILYD P. ORIAS, program coordinator, Media, Communication and Publications, Amnesty International Philippines