UN chief "deeply saddened" to confirm death of top UN officials in Haiti

[cory777]

Source: ChinaView

www.chinaview.cn 2010-01-17 06:39:52


UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday that he is "deeply saddened to confirm the tragic death" of his special representative to Haiti, Hedi Annabi, and his deputy Luiz Carlos da Costa.

In a statement issued at the UN Headquarters in New York, Ban said, "In every sense of the word, they gave their lives for peace."

Also confirmed dead were the acting police commissioner, Doug Coates of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ban said.

Annabi, a Tunisian national who was head of the UN Stability Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), was found dead among debris in the quake-destroyed UN Headquarters in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, Chinese rescuers announced in the capital on Saturday.

Xinhua reporters witnessed Annabi's body being recuperated by the Chinese rescue team on Saturday afternoon. He was believed to be in a meeting with a high-ranking delegation from China when the quake struck the small island country.

"Our hearts are with them, the families and friends of Hedi, Luiz, Doug and the many other UN heroes who gave their lives for Haiti and for the highest ideals of the United Nations," said the secretary-general. "Their dearest wish, I am sure, would be that we carry forward the noble work that they and their colleagues performed so well."

Read more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/17/content_12822810.htm

[Historic NY]

1. I heard Pres. Clinton say this was the largest single day losss of life for UN ever.