Many people 'tragically lost their lives on Sunday on an airplane that, ironically, is so technologically advanced it is billed as one of biggest success stories in modern aviation,' writes Michael Bociurkiw for CNNOpinion
Michael Bociurkiw is a global affairs analyst and a former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. A native of Canada, he has written for the Globe & Mail, the Winnipeg Free Press and frequently comments on Canadian television. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.
There was no active war zone, no violent weather system, no kidnapping -- none of the dangers that humanitarian aid workers routinely experience around the world. And yet several tragically lost their lives on Sunday on an airplane that, ironically, is so technologically advanced it is billed as one of biggest success stories in modern aviation.
Michael BociurkiwEthiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed Sunday with 157 passengers and crew aboard. The passengers on board the new Boeing 737 Max represented at least 35 nationalities.The humanitarian aid industry, in particular, took a huge blow. According to the United Nations, there were 22 passengers associated with the world body on the flight.
Ethiopian Airlines crash will 'strengthen' UN 07:19To put the loss further into perspective, the death toll dwarfs the number of UN staff lost in the bomb attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003 and is just below the number of deaths in the car bomb attack on the UN building in Abuja in 2011 -- 22 and 21 respectively.Read More"It's devastating, it's heartbreaking," agency chief David Beasley told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
Ethiopian Airlines CEO: Pilot reported flight control problems 06:07When things do go wrong, a rare camaraderie exists among aid workers that's almost hard to describe. A typical UN career, for example in my case, can take you from one man-made and natural disaster to another, working with people from many nationalities in close quarters and under extremely challenging conditions: Our connective tissue tends to be very strong and remains that way for life.
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