The World Health Organisation on Friday in Geneva confirmed that one of its spokespersons, Glenn Thomas, died in the Malaysian airlines MH17 crash.
WHO said in a statement: “It is with deep sadness that we have to inform you that the organisation lost one of our colleagues on the Malaysian airlines air crash yesterday.”
It said Thomas, 49, from Britain, was among the 298 people on board MH17 traveling to Melbourne for the International AIDS Conference, due to begin on Sunday.
“We were able to confirm, as far as we know, there was no other UN staff on that flight,” the statement added.
It said among the other delegates aboard the plane was Joep Lange, a leading AIDS researcher and former President of the International AIDS Society.
The International AIDS Society that convened the 20th International AIDS Conference said it would continue to work with the authorities.
It said this was aimed at clarifying how the tragic loss of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 impacts the conference delegates, partners, and our community as a whole.
“In recognition of our colleagues’ dedication to the fight against HIV/AIDS, the conference will go ahead as planned and will include opportunities to reflect and remember those we have lost,” it said.
A Malaysian Airlines passenger jet crashed in eastern Ukraine Thursday en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all people on board.
Reports say most of the dead were from the Netherlands.
Xinhua/NAN.
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