Flags at United Nations (UN) offices around the world are flying

at half-mast in memory of the 101 UN staff members killed so far in the Gaza war.

Staff held a minute’s silence to mourn and honour colleagues from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) who were killed in the war.

The UN relief body said in a statement on Monday that “the UNRWA death toll, already the highest in UN history, has continued to increase.”

It added that the dead were among the 13,000 UNRWA staff working in Gaza, many of them killed with their families.

The agency said they were teachers, school principals, and health workers, including a gynaecologist, engineers, support staff and a psychologist.

Tom White, the director of UNRWA in the Gaza Strip, said, “UNRWA staff in Gaza appreciates the UN lowering the flags around the world.

“In Gaza, however, we have to keep the UN flag flying high as a sign that we are still standing and serving the people of Gaza,’’ Mr White said from Rafah.

Meanwhile, UN agencies in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and elsewhere posted photos on social media of flags at half-mast in front of and on their office buildings.

(dpa/NAN)