By News Desk
UNITED NATIONS:The United Nations paid tribute on Thursday to the 168 staff members who lost their lives in 2024, including 126 personnel killed in Gaza — all but one of whom served with the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA.
Ahead of a memorial service at Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that the men and women being honoured “were not just names on a list” but “extraordinary individuals – each one a story of courage, compassion, and service.”
“They were driven by the pursuit of peace. By the urgency to ease human suffering. And by the conviction that every person, everywhere, deserves dignity and protection,” he said, speaking in front of the Security Council chamber.
He acknowledged that the past year has been especially devastating for UN humanitarian workers.
“More than one in every 50 UNRWA staff in Gaza has been killed in this atrocious conflict. This is the highest staff death toll in United Nations history,” he said.
“Some were killed delivering life-saving aid; others alongside their families; others while shielding the vulnerable.”
The Secretary-General said the sacrifice of all 168 fallen colleagues is a tragedy but also a reminder of the responsibility carried by every staff member every day.
