The event honored the 188 UN personnel who lost their lives in 2023, including 135 UNRWA staff killed during the Israeli war on Gaza since October 7.

“I am personally devastated that despite our best efforts, we could not protect our personnel in Gaza,” Guterres stated. Many of the UNRWA staff members were killed alongside their families and within the communities they served.

Guterres emphasized that this marks the highest number of UN personnel killed in a single conflict or natural disaster since the United Nations' inception. “That is by far the highest number of our personnel killed in a single conflict or natural disaster since the creation of the United Nations – a reality we can never accept,” he said.

The Secretary-General reiterated his call for “full accountability” for the deaths. “We owe this to their family members and friends, to their colleagues, and to the world. Our UNRWA personnel lived and died as representatives of the international community in Gaza, and that community deserves an explanation,” Guterres asserted.

The ceremony underscored the heavy toll of the ongoing conflict on UN staff and the urgent need for measures to ensure their safety and accountability for their deaths. (ILKHA)