United Nations Mourns After 101 Staff Killed in Gaza

Gaza – The United Nations offices around the world lowered their flags to half-mast on Monday, including at UNRWA. 

Staff held a minute's silence to mourn and honor the 101 colleagues from the Agency who have been killed in the Gaza Strip war. 

The mourn ceremony was part of global commemorations for the killed UNRWA colleagues by United Nations offices around the world, as reported from the UNRWA official site, as quoted on Monday. 

"The UNRWA death toll, already the highest in United Nations history, continued to increase," the United Nations said in a statement. 

"These colleagues were among the 13,000 UNRWA staff working in Gaza, and many of them were killed with their families. They were teachers, school principals, health workers, including a gynecologist, engineers, support staff and a psychologist," it continued. 

The Director of UNRWA in the Gaza Strip from Rafah , Tom White said that UNRWA staff in Gaza appreciate the United Nations lowering the flag around the world. 

"In Gaza however, we have to keep the UN flag flying high as a sign that we are still standing and serving the people of Gaza," White stated. 

It is known, UNRWA is hosting nearly 780,000 people in more than 150 facilities across the Gaza Strip. They came to these shelters to seek protection and safety under the very same UN flag.  

UN facilities, including those providing shelter, have not been spared during the war in Gaza. To date, more than 60 have been impacted, including 10 directly hit. 

At least 70 per cent of the facilities hit were in the middle and southern areas down from Wadi Gaza.