UN lowers flags at half-mast worldwide in grieve for 100 colleagues lost in Gaza
Date
11/14/2023 4:36:22 AM
(MENAFN) Flags were lowered to half-mast at United Nations headquarters globally on Monday as a somber tribute to over 100 UN colleagues who lost their lives in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed the gravity of the situation, stating that this marks "the highest death toll of United Nations humanitarian personnel killed in a conflict during this short time." In a twitter message, Guterres emphasized that these colleagues "will never be forgotten."
The commemoration extended across UN offices worldwide, with employees observing a minute of silence in honor of their fallen colleagues. In New York, the UN headquarters held the minute of silence at 9:30 AM local time, a gesture mirrored in every country where the organization has a representative office.
In Geneva, the second-largest UN center globally, flags were lowered in the morning, and none of the flags of the 193 member states were raised along the main road in front of the prominent building. The UN's distinctive blue and white flag was similarly flown at half-mast in Bangkok, Tokyo, and Beijing. Vigils were organized in Kathmandu and Kabul, where the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN in Afghanistan, Rosa Otunbayeva, led around 250 people in observing a minute of silence.
The global lowering of flags and collective minute of silence reflect a unified and poignant acknowledgment of the significant human toll that the conflict has taken on UN humanitarian personnel in the Gaza Strip. The UN community stands united in honoring and remembering their colleagues who made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of humanitarian efforts.
MENAFN14112023000045015682ID1107420423
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.