The 19 were heading to Nairobi to attend the fourth UN Environment Assembly, which runs from 11-15 March.
The Ethiopian airline is reported to have crasheda few minutes after departing from the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on Board.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condoled with the families and friends of those who perished in the crash, saying he was “deeply saddened at the tragic loss of lives.”
According to the UN Department of Safety and Security in Kenya, 19 UN staff perished in the crash. The World Food Programme (WFP) lost seven staff, the Office of the High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) lost two, as did the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Sudan, World Bank and UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) each lost one staff member. Six staff from the UN Office in Nairobi (UNON) were also tragically killed.
Following that tragic crash, Ethiopia, China and Indonesia have all suspended the use of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, with reports suggesting possible software changes by Boeing were not communicated to pilots worldwide.
Investigations to determine the cause of the crash are still ongoing, and the Black Box from the plane was discovered on Monday.
