UN Secretary-General António Guterres this Thursday paid tribute to the 188 United Nations staff who died in the line of duty in 2023 and renewed his call for accountability for each of these deaths.
At the annual memorial honoring all UN staff who have died “in the service of peace,” and in the presence of the families of those victims, Guterres stressed that of the 188 workers killed, 135 were women and men who worked for the Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) and who were killed as a result of Israeli operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“This is by far the highest number of our people killed in a single conflict or natural disaster since the creation of the United Nations – a reality we will never be able to accept,” he said.
The Secretary-General recalled the circumstances of these deaths, emphasizing that some of them died along with their families in explosions targeting their homes, while others were working in offices or shelters when they were hit.
“I repeat my call for a full report on each of these deaths. We owe it to their family and friends, their colleagues and the world,” he said.
“Our UNRWA staff lived and died as representatives of the international community in the Gaza Strip, and that community deserves an explanation,” Guterres insisted.
The former Portuguese prime minister explained that UN protocol requires family members to consent to the inclusion of victims’ names in the memorial service.
However, many families of UNRWA staff could not be contacted “because they were killed or forced to leave their homes as a result of Israeli military operations,” he said.
Those killed in the Gaza Strip included teachers, drivers, doctors, sanitation workers, security guards, pharmacists, administrative assistants and others.
“They were mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives. They were our colleagues. They were our friends. Personally, I am devastated that despite our best efforts, we have not been able to protect our people in Gaza,” he lamented.
United Nations personnel killed in 2023 came from 37 countries and 18 different United Nations entities, including military, police and civilian personnel.
“They were the personification of the United Nations. They were versatility in action. And they made the ultimate sacrifice for this cause,” he noted.
At the ceremony, which included a minute’s silence in memory of the victims, the UN leader stressed that in a world as divided as today, the values of the United Nations are more important than ever.
“Despite our differences, we must all agree that those who serve these values under the UN flag have the right to protection,” he urged.
Antonio Guterres promised that the organization would do everything possible to provide adequate support to surviving family members, that it would review and improve safety standards and that it would preserve the memory of those who died.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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