United Nations employees came together today to observe a poignant minute’s silence in remembrance of the 101 staff members who tragically lost their lives in the Gaza conflict amidst the Israel-Hamas war. The solemn occasion was marked by the flying of UN flags at half-mast.
At the UN offices in Geneva, the staff stood in solemn solidarity, bowing their heads in reverence as a candle was lit to honour the memory of the brave employees of the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, who were fatally caught in the crossfire of the Israeli assault on Gaza.
Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations in Geneva, emotionally remarked, “This is the highest number of aid workers killed in the history of our organisation in such a short time.”
“We are gathered here today, united in this very symbolic location, to pay respect to our brave colleagues who sacrificed their lives while serving under the United Nations flag,” Valovaya added solemnly.
UNRWA reported that some of its staff members were senselessly killed while queuing for bread, while others tragically lost their lives along with their families in their homes during Israel’s aerial and ground offensive against Hamas, spurred by the October 7 cross-border assault by the Islamist group.
Not since the deadly conflict in Nigeria in 2011, when 46 UN aid workers were killed in a suicide bombing at their office in Abuja during an Islamist insurgency, has the UN witnessed such a profound loss among its humanitarian personnel.
While Israel attributes civilian casualties in densely populated Gaza to Hamas, alleging that the group uses the population as human shields, Hamas vehemently refutes this claim.
Valovaya acknowledged the challenging times faced by multilateralism and the world at large, expressing, “But the United Nations is more relevant than ever.”
Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA plays a vital role in providing public services, including schools, healthcare, and aid. Many of the 5,000 UNRWA staff members working in Gaza are Palestinian refugees themselves, deeply committed to serving their communities despite the perils they face. — Reuters
