Ban Ki-moon slams killing of UN official in Pakistan

Gunmen shot dead the UN official and a security guard Thursday during a failed kidnapping attempt at a Pakistani refugee camp where civilians have sought shelter from fighting, Pakistani officials said.
In addition to the killings of Usman and the guard, UNHCR clerk Ishfaq Ahmed was wounded, the UN said in a statement.
Ban "strongly condemns this brutal attack on humanitarian personnel who are working for the well-being of the Pakistani people," it added.
"The UN remains committed to continuing humanitarian operations to assist the large number of people in need."
The incident marked the third killing of UN refugee agency staff in Pakistan in five months, reflecting a rising tide of violence hampering aid efforts.
Usman, 59, a father of four who had been working on the repatriation of displaced people, had worked 25 years for UNHCR in Peshawar, which is the capital of Pakistan's violent northwest where 1.9 million people have been displaced by fighting between troops and Taliban militants.
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