UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations began on Friday a week of commemoration of the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands of Haitians and 102 UN staff.

"We remember the hundreds of thousands of Haitians who lost their lives and the millions gravely affected by the devastating earthquake that struck their country 10 years ago," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a video message released Friday. "We also honor the memory of 102 United Nations colleagues lost that same day."

"I will never forget the shock and sadness across the United Nations as we became aware of the scale of the tragedy," said the UN chief, who was the UN high commissioner for refugees at the time.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, told a regular briefing that the "35 seconds of violent tremor changed the face of Haiti."

Millions of Haitians lost their homes, family members and so much more in the devastating earthquake, the spokesman said.

UN staff members in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince have been invited to attend a commemorative ceremony on Sunday, he said. It is to be held at the site of the Christopher Hotel, which had housed the UN peacekeeping mission's headquarters. It collapsed during the earthquake.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca will be the senior official from New York representing the world organization at the Sunday ceremony and other commemorative events organized by the Haitian government, Dujarric said.

During next week there will be a number of other events to mark the anniversary, the spokesman said.

On Monday, in Tunis, the United Nations will inaugurate the Hedi Annabi Hall, honoring the memory of the head of the UN peacekeeping mission, Hedi Annabi, who died in the collapse of the Christopher Hotel.

Annabi was also a longtime assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations at the UN Headquarters in New York.

On Jan. 17, the secretary-general will take part in a New York headquarters ceremony to include representatives of the countries whose citizens lost their lives in the earthquake.

"Over the past decade, Haiti has drawn on the resilience of its people and the support of its many friends to overcome this disaster," Guterres said in the video message. "With the continued support of the international community, Haiti is striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including through strengthening the institutions that are so crucial to the well-being and prosperity of its people."

"On this day, I renew the commitment of the United Nations to helping Haiti and its people build a brighter future," he concluded in the video message. Enditem

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