UN flags are lowered to half-mast to honor and mourn the 101 colleagues

NY November 13, 2023 (QJ) -UN flags are lowered to half-mast at Headquarters and offices around the world on Monday to mourn and honor our colleagues who have been killed in Gaza in recent weeks. The UN staff also observed a minute of silence to honor and mourn the 101 colleagues from the agency who lost their lives in the conflict in Gaza.

This event, marked at a high level, was part of the global commemoration of the fallen colleagues from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which took place at the United Nations offices worldwide.

The UNRWA death toll, marking the highest in the history of the United Nations, is expected to rise. The deceased were among 13,000 UNRWA employees in Gaza, including teachers, school principals, health workers, women’s health practitioners, engineers, support staff, and psychologists.

“The staff of UNRWA in Gaza express their gratitude to the United Nations for lowering the world flag. The pain is still intense, but we must continue to carry the UN flag, which symbolizes that we are still standing and serving the people of Gaza,” said Tom White, UNRWA Director in Gaza who came from Rafah.

UNRWA provides services to more than 780,000 people in over 150 installations in Gaza. They have set up tents to provide shelter and support for the displaced under the UN flag.

The UN offices, many of which were hit during the Gaza conflict, are still not functioning. More than 60 have been damaged, with 10 severely, and at least 70% of the destroyed offices were located in the northern and southern areas of Gaza.