Reham Al-Farra (1974–2003) was a Palestinian

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

and journalist who was murdered in the Canal Hotel bombing in 2003. She had served as a Minister of Public Information and for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Early life and education

Al-Farra was born in Kuwait, and graduated from the Faculty of Mass Communications at Yarmouk University in Jordan.

Career

Al-Farra worked as a journalist at the weekly newspaper '' Shihan'' and later became its

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. She was the youngest columnist in Jordan to write a daily

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in '' Al-Arab Al-Yawm'' for four consecutive years. In 2002, Al-Farra joined the

United Nations Department of Public Information United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

and was nominated later as an Arabic spokesperson for the UN operations in Iraq. She had also been active at the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists.

Death

Al-Farra was killed along with other United Nations staff members in the terrorist Canal Hotel bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, on 19 August 2003.

Honours

In September 2003, the UN Department of Public Information decided to rename its annual training programme for young journalists “The Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalists' Fellowship Programme” in memory of her.The Official Records of the 16th meeting of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee- Fourth Committee- held at UN Headquarters NY on 29 October 2003, A/C.4/58/SR.16 (paragraph 38)
/ref> On 19 September 2003, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan paid tribute to Al-Farra during a memorial ceremony for those killed in Baghdad: “You chose to work for the United Nations because you wanted to do something for others," Annan said. "You went to Iraq to make a contribution to the lives of your Arab brothers and sisters. It is their loss as much as ours that you were denied the chance to do that".

References

1974 births 2003 deaths Jordanian officials of the United Nations Yarmouk University alumni Jordanian journalists People killed in the Canal Hotel bombing Civilian casualties in the Iraq War 20th-century journalists {{jordan-bio-stub