UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Most of the casualties are UN peacekeepers, but also include two security guards, one civilian staff member and one contractor.
"The Standing Committee for the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service of the UN Staff Union says that at least 32 UN personnel were killed in deliberate attacks in 2016," Haq stated.
The deputy spokesman noted that for the third year in a row, the biggest number of deaths was recorded in Mali, where at least 23 UN personnel lost their lives.
At present, the United Nations has 16 peacekeeping operations around the globe led by its Department of Peacekeeping Operations.