Anita Ashok Datar was the single American who died in a hotel terror attack in Bamako, Mali, on Friday. Nineteen other people were killed by extremists who overtook the Radisson Blu Hotel, according to reports by the U.S. State Department.
Datar was a former volunteer for the Peace Corps who worked in senior management at an international development organization called Palladium. Over the last 15 years, much of the 41-year-old’s public health work took her to Asia, South America, and Africa, where she focused on issues surrounding HIV and family planning.
In a statement, Datar’s family expressed their grief: “We are devastated that Anita is gone. It’s unbelievable to us that she has been killed in this senseless act of violence and terrorism.”
The family further praised Datar’s dedication to helping others:
“Everything she did in her life she did to help others — as a mother, public health expert, daughter, sister and friend. And while we are angry and saddened that she has been killed, we know that she would want to promote education and healthcare to prevent violence and poverty at home and abroad, not intolerance.”
Current Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also recognized the work Datar has accomplished during her tenure as a public health expert. In a statement given Saturday, Clinton noted how Anita represented the best of America’s generous spirit, calling her a “bright light” who gave hope to people in need around the world.
“I knew Anita as the loving mother of a wonderful 7-year-old boy and the former partner of David Garten, one of my senior policy advisers in the Senate. My heart breaks thinking of the burden he will now bear on his small shoulders and the courage he will have to show in the days ahead.”
Source for Today’s Article:
“American killed in Mali worked to improve global health,” Yahoo News web site, November 21, 2015; http://news.yahoo.com/american-killed-mali-worked-improve-global-health-034443974.html.
Shapiro, E., “Hillary Clinton Knew American Killed in Mali, Describes Her as Loving Mother,” ABC News web site, November 21, 2015; http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clinton-knew-american-killed-mali-describes-loving/story?id=35347032.