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Top UN envoy in Iraq reported injured in huge Baghdad blast

19 August – The top United Nations envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, was reported to have been wounded when a huge explosion ripped through UN headquarters today in Baghdad, resulting in deaths and injuries in what members of the Security Council condemned as a "terrorist criminal attack."

Reports of casualties and the extent of the damage from the attack, which occurred at 4:45 p.m. local time, are still coming in from the ruined hotel where the UN mission is headquartered. Some 300 international personnel are based in Baghdad and 646 in Iraq altogether.

The Security Council held emergency consultations to hear a briefing on the attack by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Danilo Türk, condemned the bombing in the strongest terms, and vowed to further intensify its efforts to help the people of Iraq.

"Such terrorist incidents cannot break the will of the international community to further intensify its efforts to help the people of Iraq," the Council said in a press statement.

"Members of the Council reaffirmed that this horrible attack that aimed at undermining the vital role of the United Nations in Iraq will not affect their determination and members of the Council will stay united against such attacks and to help the Iraqi people restore peace and stability to their country," it added.

"The United Nations is in Iraq on a mission of peace, and for the reconstruction of the country and to support the Iraqi people. Therefore it is all the more shocking that this attack occurred," it concluded.

The Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, standing in for Mr. Vieira de Mello during his tour of duty in Iraq, expressed deep shock and outrage over the "despicable act" against people whose only aim is to help the Iraqi people.

"We are deeply shocked and outraged at the explosion at United Nations headquarters in Baghdad," Mr. Ramcharan said in a statement. "Such a despicable act directed at people whose only aim is to assist the people of Iraq recover from war and years of oppression is to be is to be condemned by the whole international community," he added.

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