Seven UN peacekeeping soldiers and 28 UN civilian staff members were killed in 2009 as a result of violence.

Six of the seven peacekeepers were killed in Sudan's Darfur region, while the seventh death occurred in Pakistan while the deputy force commander of the Darfur mission was on holiday there.

Most of the civilian deaths took place while the UN workers were on duty in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Five civilians who worked for the UN relief organisation UNRWA were killed during the Israeli-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip last year.

The number of violent deaths among UN workers in 2009 was slightly less than 2008 when a total of 34 UN personnel were killed.

Photo: UN peacekeeper's helmet by ulisses barbosa (Flickr)