The Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 crash on March 10, 2019, claimed the lives of 19 staff members from UN-affiliated organizations, according to official reports. The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near Bishoftu, 35 miles southeast of Addis Ababa, with 157 total casualties.
The United Nations confirmed that the World Food Programme (WFP) lost seven staff, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) two, and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) an equivalent number. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Sudan, World Bank, and UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) each reported one fatality. Six additional UN Nairobi Office (UNON) staff also died.
IOM Director Antonio Vitorino stated early reports indicated 19 UN-affiliated personnel perished, with numerous others from at least five organizations also losing staff. He emphasized the tragedy's scale, noting the WFP, UN Refugee Agency, World Bank, and UN Environment Agency all suffered losses.
Among the deceased was IOM Sudan mission staff Anne Feigl, described by mission chief Catherine Northing as "an extremely valued colleague and popular staff member, committed and professional." WFP Director David Beasley honored the seven lost staff, stating they "were willing to travel and work far from their homes and loved ones to help make the world a better place." UNHCR Chief Filippo Grandi acknowledged the agency's "huge loss" without confirming exact numbers.
The victims included 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, and eight Americans. The crash occurred on the eve of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressing solidarity with families and urging cooperation with Ethiopian authorities to identify affected staff.
