At least 51 UN personnel killed in 2015: spokesperson

At least 51 UN and associated personnel were killed in 2015 in the line of duty, including peacekeepers and civilians working for the international organization, said a UN spokesperson on Thursday.

According to the UN Staff Union, among those killed were 27 peacekeepers, including two police officers, and 24 civilians, including contractors, in deliberate attacks, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told a daily briefing.

The UN Staff Union said some of those fatal attacks used improvised explosive devices (IED), rocket and artillery fire or landmines; some of those UN personnel were killed in suicide attacks, targeted assassinations or armed ambushes.

According to the UN, in 2015, the greatest loss of life was recorded in Mali where at least 25 personnel were killed in ambushes, IED explosions or when their vehicles hit landmines.

Statistics show that in the past four years, at least 207 UN personnel have died in deliberate attacks. At least 61 UN personnel were killed in 2014; and at least 58 were killed in 2013.

Kidnapping and abductions also appear to be a growing threat to the UN personnel working in the fields. South Sudan topped the list of countries where the highest number of staff had been detained, abducted or disappeared, according to the UN Staff Union. Endit