WASHINGTON DC: In recognition of the contribution made by the United Nations to the establishment of international peace, three members of the Nepali Peace Mission till death have been honored with the ‘Dag Hammarskjöld Memorial Medal.’
The award was handed over by UN Secretary General António Guterres to Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amrit Rai at a function held at the UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday.
The award was presented on the occasion of ‘Peace Keepers’ Day’ to the brave Nepali warriors who died in various UN missions. Umesh Kumar Mehtar from Nepal police, and Pitamber Thapa and Dipendra Wosti from Nepal Army died in Sudan, UNIFIL Lebanon and South Sudan respectively.
According to Jagdish Khadka, Military Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations, 82 Nepali peacekeepers have been martyred so far. According to him, 5,804 Nepalis are currently working in UN peacekeeping missions in different countries.
The 2002 General Assembly of the United Nations approved the observance of May 29 as the International Day for the Establishment of Peace. International Day is celebrated to commemorate the contribution of dignitaries who sacrificed their lives for the establishment of peace in the world.
Four thousand peacekeepers deployed under UN flags have got martyrdom since 1948 in their attempts to protect civilians in conflict-affected areas.
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