由於近日一名偽裝成非政府組織（NGO）成員的自殺炸彈客嫌犯遭到逮捕，此事可能讓所有的援助工作者陷入危險當中。該名嫌犯，偽裝成一名籌設電腦科學訓練中心的援助工作者並潛入馬扎里謝里夫，而事實上他極可能是一名企圖暗殺巴爾赫省省長穆罕默德•阿塔（Mohammad Atta）的自殺炸彈客。
在阿富汗的NGO工作人員，除了要面對暴力衝突環伺的環境外，外界指控NGO人員侵吞公款、未妥善運用從政府與公眾幕得的經費等紛紛擾擾的傳言更是不斷；而今，由於該名自殺炸彈客嫌犯偽裝為NGO成員事件，他們又陷入了可能被指為恐怖份子的陰霾。
在馬扎里謝里夫，一名拒絕透露姓名的NGO人員說：「我覺得身楚險境，現在又聽說有恐怖份子想利用NGO從事恐怖攻擊的事件，我擔心自己有天會被指控和恐怖份子有關連。」
目前有許多著名的NGO仍在阿富汗從事救援工作，例如國際關懷組織CARE、國際樂施會、拯救兒童聯盟、國際紅十字會及紅新月會等。他們在阿富汗從事的工作包括水患與震災救難、農業與職業訓練、偏遠地區社區教育、水資源與衛生計畫、營養補給工作以及技能訓練等。
The arrest of a suspected suicide bomber who disguised himself as a member of a nongovernmental organization could put all aid workers at risk. The would-be bomber came to Mazar-e-Sharif as an aid worker setting up a computer science training center. In reality, he was a would-be suicide bomber who intended to assassinate Mohammad Atta, the governor of Balkh province.
Staff working with nongovernmental organizations, NGOs, already had plenty to worry about, given the continued violence in much of Afghanistan and the constant accusations of embezzlement and mismanagement levied by members of the government and the public. Now, following the incident in Mazar-e-Sharif, they also face the danger of being considered potential terrorists.
"I feel that I'm in danger," said an employee of a construction NGO in Mazar-e-Sharif, who declined to give his name. "Now that I've heard that terrorists want to carry out their attacks through NGOs, I am afraid that one day I will be accused of being an associate of terrorists."
Some well known NGOs working in Afghanistan include CARE, Oxfam, Save the Children, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent. They carry out relief operations such as emergency response to floods and earthquakes, agricultural and vocational training, community-based education in remote areas, water and sanitation projects, nutrition support, and skills training.
