11 Mar 2019 Statements Disasters & conflicts

Statement from UN Environment Acting Executive Director on Ethiopian airlines crash

The crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 was a terrible loss for the United Nations, for our member states and for the environmental community.

The environmental community is in mourning today. Many of those that lost their lives were en-route to provide support and participate in the UN Environment Assembly. We lost UN staff, youth delegates travelling to the Assembly, seasoned scientists, members of academia and other partners.

We join the Secretary-General in expressing our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all the victims who perished in this tragedy.

The entire UN Environment Assembly will honour them in our efforts this week.

The United Nations is in contact with the Ethiopian authorities and working closely with them to establish the details of United Nations personnel who lost their lives in this tragedy. We are making provisions for assisting the families of the victims, providing counseling and mobilizing any other support that may be necessary at this difficult time.