UN condemns killing of staff in Syria

The United Nations has condemned the killing of one of its workers in Syrian's Daraa region. 

The UN's humanitarian coordinator for Syria Imran Riza on Thursday called for humanitarian workers to be protected, after the killing of Ali Husein Mohammad, a staff member with the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

He pointed out that the killing was the second time in a month that humanitarian workers were killed in the southern region. 

Two Syrian employees of the charity Oxfam were attacked by an unidentified armed group as they were delivering aid in February.

“This event underscores the dangers faced by courageous and determined United Nations staff members all around the world, as they work to serve communities in need. I once again call for the protection of all civilians and humanitarian workers in line with international humanitarian law,” said Riza.

UNRWA said in a statement that Mohammad, a 43-year-old science teacher, was killed on Wednesday in an outbreak of violence in Daraa's Jilin town.

The agency said 19 of its workers have been killed in the 9-year-long Syrian conflict. 

Britain-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there have been at least eight civilian casualties in Jilin because of fighting between rebels and Syrian government forces, who control Daraa. 

Since the start of the Syrian civil war, at least 1,000 humanitarian aid workers have been killed, according to figures compiled by the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

In 2018, Syria topped the list of one of the deadliest places for aid workers, based on an analysis by CARE International.