At least 11 United Nations staff and personnel, as well as 30 students at UN schools have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, “11 United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff and personnel have been killed since Saturday”, referring to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees which also runs schools in Gaza.
“30 UNRWA students have also been killed and another eight have been injured,” she said.
The victims include five teachers, a gynaecologist, an engineer, a counsellor and three support staff, UNRWA’s deputy director Jennifer Austin said in a statement.
She further said, “UNRWA mourns this loss and is grieving with our colleagues and the families. UN staff and civilians must be protected at all times during conflict. We call for the fighting to come to an end to spare more civilian lives lost.”
Reportedly, over 250,000 people in Gaza have fled from their homes, the UN said.
However, most of these people have crowded into schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.