The UN family has received the news of the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed at 8:44 this morning with profound shock and dismay. The Boeing 737-800 crashed in Bishoftu, shortly after take off from Bole International Airport.

“As the UN family, we are deeply saddened by all the lives lost in this tragedy. We have lost numerous members of staff from UN agencies. We have also learnt of losses in other international organizations as well. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, close friends and colleagues of the victims of this crash” said Ms. Songwe.

“The United Nations family is mourning the loss of our colleagues and friends, many of whom lost their lives carrying out their professional duties today. We will be reaching out to families and offering our support” she added.

According to government reports, 149 passengers and eight crew members were believed to be on flight ET302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi.

“On behalf of the entire UN leadership team, I urge everyone to remain sensitive to the families of the victims and avoid sharing names and images on social media” she urged.

“Our security and travel services in the entire UN system in Ethiopia are actively monitoring the situation and we will continue to keep everyone updated in the coming hours and days” said Ms. Songwe.