DaysofPal- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on Monday that 136 UN personnel were killed while carrying out their duties over the past year, including 80 staff members who were working in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking during a ceremony honoring UN personnel who lost their lives in service during the previous year, Guterres said the victims came from 32 countries and included 97 civilian staff members and 39 peacekeepers.
He noted that 80 of those killed were employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East operating in Gaza.
Guterres revealed that the number of UN personnel killed in Gaza exceeded the losses the organization has suffered in any other conflict or disaster in its history.
According to the UN chief, some staff members were killed alongside their family members in their homes or places of shelter, while others lost their lives while performing their duties in offices, shelters, and the communities they served.
He stressed that attacks on United Nations personnel, peacekeepers, and humanitarian workers constitute violations of international law and called for greater protection for those carrying out humanitarian missions in conflict zones.
The remarks came after a ceasefire was announced in Gaza following two years of an Israeli genocidal campaign. In addition to the large number of casualties, the war caused widespread destruction across the territory, with approximately 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure reported damaged or destroyed.
The United Nations estimates that rebuilding the devastated Gaza Strip will require roughly $70 billion, highlighting the immense scale of reconstruction needed after years of conflict.
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