06/08/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, the European Commission reacted to the murder, in Eastern Afghanistan, of two national humanitarian staff members of the German NGO, Malteser Hilfsdienstu, firmly condemning the attack. In a press release, Commissioner Poul Nielson expresses his sympathy for the families of the deceased and states his indignation that the humanitarian personnel continued to be deliberately taken as targets, undermining the basic principles of humanitarian law. The two aid workers "were ensuring that much-needed aid reached the many thousands of Afghans living in desperate conditions. The repeated targeting of humanitarian workers and the shrinking humanitarian space in Afghanistan undermines our ability to deliver that crucial help", the Commissioner states in a press release.