Private security firms working in Afghanistan say development and aid projects will come to a crashing halt in the war-torn country if it’s president, Harmid Karzai, goes ahead with his decree that all private security firms must leave in the next four months.

At one time, NGOs in the world’s hot spots were granted some degree of immunity from violence by their status as aid workers. But that’s changing, as they’re increasingly becoming the target of attacks by sectarian and terrorist groups. The Taliban is now targeting aid workers in Afghanistan; a Canadian woman was killed last month, and 19 aid workers have been killed so far in 2008.