UN chief saddened by death of UN security staffer in Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York, on May 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie E)

The incident occurred on Monday morning when their UN-marked vehicle was struck as they were on their way to the European Hospital in Rafah, said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman.

UNITED NATIONS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply saddened by the death of a UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer in an attack in Gaza, said his deputy spokesman on Monday.

The incident occurred on Monday morning when their UN-marked vehicle was struck as they were on their way to the European Hospital in Rafah, said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman.

"The secretary-general condemns all attacks on UN personnel and calls for a full investigation. He sends his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member," he said.

With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll -- not only on civilians, but also on humanitarian workers -- the secretary-general reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and for the release of all hostages, said Haq.

Children walk on a street with the rubble of destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on May 13, 2024. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

The DSS staffer became the first international staff member of the United Nations killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. Some 190 Palestinian UN staffers have lost their lives.

The names and nationalities of the DSS staffers killed and injured were being withheld as the United Nations was in the process of informing the relevant governments and the relevant family members, said Haq.

He said the world body is trying to get details of the incident.

The DSS staffers were doing their regular work of going to different locations to assess security conditions, he said. ■