Brussels, 04/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - The death of five humanitarian workers from Médecins sans Frontières (two Afghans, one Belgian, one Dutch and one Norwegian) on Wednesday in an ambush in Afghanistan has deeply shocked the EU. Poul Nielson, European Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, and Javier Solana, High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, expressed shock after this unacceptable attack which led MSF to suspend all activity in the country on Thursday until further notice. In a statement, Poul Nielson said: "I was appalled to hear about the murder of these five aid workers. Like the rest of the humanitarian aid community in Afghanistan, they we're ensuring that much-needed aid was reaching the many thousands of Afghans living in desperate conditions. The targeting of humanitarian workers jeopardizes our ability to deliver that crucial help. This is intolerable. I strongly condemn the complete disregard for international humanitarian principles shown by the Taleban who have claimed responsibility for this act". Javier Solana said for his part: "MSF and many other NGOs and international organisations are playing a crucial role in helping the Afghan people to reconstruct their country, sometimes paying a heavy price for their commitment. I pay tribute to their work, and to their sacrifice".