Barbara De Anna, who died in a hospital in Germany on June 20th 2013 from injuries sustained during the May 24th attack on the IOM compound in Kabul, was 38.

She first joined IOM Afghanistan in April 2010 to coordinate a project in the western provinces of Herat, Farah, Badghis, Ghor and Nimroz designed to reintegrate thousands of destitute Afghans forcibly returned from Iran.

It included providing them with transport, shelter and livelihood assistance, as well as offering training to local authorities to help them to cope with the influx.

At the time of the May 24th attack, she was working as a project officer responsible for training some 600 staff working for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MORR) in offices throughout Afghanistan.

The training was designed to build the capacity of the MORR to help thousands of vulnerable internally displaced people and recent returnees from neighboring countries – mainly Iran and Pakistan.

Since moving to Kabul in 2012, Barbara had become a constant and important presence at the MORR, with her charm, professionalism and can-do approach. She enjoyed excellent relations with MORR counterparts, donors and implementing partners alike.

Educated in Italy, the UK and Spain, she was tri-lingual and widely respected for her extensive field experience with UNDP in Honduras, UNMIL in Liberia, UNMIT in East Timor and UNHCR in Jordan.

But her IOM colleagues and friends will miss her, above all, for her love of life, humanity and ever-present smile. She spent her life striving to improve the lives of those less fortunate and died doing a job that she loved. Her loss leaves behind an irreparable void that we can never hope to fill, but we will guard her memory.