UN Staff Deaths In Pakistan Raise Questions About Overall Global Security Measures

With the horrific deaths of five of its staff members in Islamabad earlier this week, the UN’s World Food Program has a lot of explaining to do. Just how did a bomber swiftly pass through what was believed to be a topnotch security system?

The UN offices throughout Pakistan now remain closed pending an investigation- the Taliban have now claimed responsibility for the acts. Many outside the UN system are questioning the overall effectiveness of UN global security measures in dangerous or potential conflict zones. The World Food Program provides over 10 million people in Pakistan with food aid.

UN Secretary-General spokeswoman Michele Montas stated in response to a call for a full investigation:

“We are at a phase of assessment to see how vulnerable our offices are. Islamabad was one of the best protected UN centers in Pakistan.”

Some 50-80 personnel were believed to be inside the building. Footage from a UN security camera revealed the bomber walking through a door into the main entry hall while carrying a half-metre long cylindrical object.

Dozens of UN offices have been victim to attacks by opposition and insurgent groups in recent years including in Somalia, Iraq and Algeria– to name a few.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said the bombing was a “terrible tragedy,” leaving many of skeptics wondering if this rhetoric is assurance enough to stop a growing and increasingly violent Taliban force inside Pakistan.