Chris Nyamandi, Country Director of Save the Children in Afghanistan:
"We vehemently condemn the roadside blast in Daikundi that reportedly killed five children and seven women travelling in a bus today.
"Once again, children are the innocent casualties of a conflict raging around them, a conflict they have no part in.
"We must never accept the term 'collateral damage' when it comes to children – it's simply unacceptable that they have made up a third of all civilian casualties this year.
"We call upon all parties to the conflict to do everything they can to protect civilians in this brutal war.
"We have seen time and again how explosive weapons used in densely populated areas or on roadsides can kill everything in their path indiscriminately.
"And it's the children bearing the brunt of this – they are not only being killed or maimed, but they are also losing their mothers and their fathers.
"A peaceful and productive future for Afghanistan relies on the protection and education of its children."
