On a foggy, cold morning on Friday, 12 November 1999, a plane with people from around the world, primarily international humanitarian and aid workers, arriving from Rome to Pristina on Flight 3275. Their mission was to support relief operations in Kosovo – still reeling from conflict. Tragically, the plane never reached Pristina Airport. Minutes before landing, the WFP flight crashed on Mount Piceli, killing all 24 people on board, shocking the international community.

Yesterday, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and OiC UNMIK Milbert Dongjoon Shin led a delegation to the site of the 1999 plane crash to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives - particularly poignant for DSRSG Shin who was serving with UNMIK at the time of the tragedy.

"I still remember the shock when we heard the news of the plane crash - and the overwhelming feeling of sadness at the loss of lives, compounded by the lives already affected by the Kosovo conflict. The fact that those on board were traveling to aid people who had already endured so much made the tragedy more heartrending. It was a privilege and an honour to be here today to remember our fallen colleagues." said DSRSG Shin.

At the memorial plaque on Mount Piceli, near the village of Bajgorë/Bajgora - close to Mitrovica, the delegation laid a wreath and observed a solemn moment of silence - remembering each life cut short and the families, friends, and colleagues who continue to mourn.

This November marks 26 years since that fateful flight. The passengers had been travelling to Kosovo to help communities recover, rebuild, and restore hope. The flight itself operated daily, carrying vital humanitarian aid and the people committed to delivering it.

The memory of the women and men who died lives on in Kosovo and the countries from which they came: Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Germany, Iraq, and Kenya.

The visit by UNMIK is a renewed tribute to the human cost borne by those who answer the call to help others in times of crisis.