BRUSSELS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission (EC) Friday strongly condemned the killing of an aid worker last week in Sri Lanka, calling for safety guarantees for humanitarian aid staff.

    "The perpetrators of such horrendous acts must be brought to justice. There can be no impunity, said Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid.

    "Humanitarian workers are here to help Sri Lanka people, in an impartial and neutral manner. They must be able to do their work without risking their lives. It is the responsibility of all those involved in this conflict that under the International Humanitarian Law they are obliged to ensure the safety of civilians, including aid workers," Michel said.

    A. Vigneswaran, a 28-year-old aid worker who worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in an EC-financed program, was killed on Nov. 27 by unidentified gunmen in eastern Sri Lanka, becoming the third NRC staffer killed over the past two and a half years in the country.

    Michel applauded the work of the NRC, a partner of the Humanitarian Aid department of the EC, the EU's executive arm, calling it "a highly valued and longstanding humanitarian aid partner of the EC in Sri Lanka working under often very difficult and dangerous conditions." Norway is not a member of the EU.

    Meanwhile, the Commission also announced an additional humanitarian aid of 2 million euros (2.52 million U.S. dollars) to Sri Lanka.

    The aid aims to help over 300,000 displaced and vulnerable people in the Vanni region, where recent heavy monsoon rains and flooding exacerbated the humanitarian situation there.

    "I believe that continuing our humanitarian assistance in Sri Lanka is the best tribute we can do to honour the memory of Mr. Vigneswaran and all his colleagues who lost their lives while making every effort to alleviate the suffering of those in desperate need," Michel said.

    At least 29 aid workers have been killed in Sri Lanka so far since 2006, making the country one of the world's most dangerous places for aid workers.

    The EU's humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka has amounted to 19 million euros (23.9 million dollars) so far this year.