Remembering the Fallen

 

 

 

6 May 2014, Islamabad - Staff of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Pakistan (UNODC) and guests from other UN agencies based in Pakistan, gathered together today to remember the UNODC colleagues who lost their lives in recent years while on duty around the world .

César Guedes, Country Representative for UNODC Pakistan said: "Today we commemorate a difficult moment in our calendar: remembering colleagues killed in action while on service with UNODC. Having personally worked alongside four of the colleagues we are remembering today, it remains a sad and pertinent reminder of how fine the line between life and death can be.

"The United Nations works to encourage peace and development, but the work we do is sometimes not always appreciated or understood; it indeed carries risks with it.

"As attacks and intolerance increase, targeting institutions involved in relief, humanitarian and development work, we must make sure to be as prepared as possible, both personally and professionally to deal with the risks. In this respect, we must always comply with the mandatory safety and security measures to perform our jobs, thus minimising our exposure to dangerous situations. Life is the most precious gift to treasure not only for each of us, but for our loved ones and those around us."

The moment was marked with a minute of silence and reflection, as staff remembered their fallen colleagues:  

  • Clément Gorrissen, 28, French - 7 April 2014 Puntland, Somalia 
  • Simon Davis, 57, British - 7 April 2014 Puntland, Somalia 
  • Luis Maria Duarte 39 (ex UNODC), Paraguayan - 21 March 2014 Kabul, Afghanistan 
  • Iván Alfaro, 49, Bolivian, - 5 May 2011 Las Yungas rain forest, Bolivia 
  • Patricia Delgado, 31, Bolivian - 5 May 2011 Las Yungas rain forest, Bolivia 
  • Mariela Moreno, 29, Bolivian - 5 May 2011 Las Yungas rain forest, Bolivia 
  • Stephan Campos, 26, Bolivian - 5 May 2011 Las Yungas rain forest, Bolivia 
  • Ingrid Midtgaard, 30, Norwegian - 26 August 2011 Abuja, Nigeria"