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Pacific

Australian mom working for UN in Fiji reportedly found dead in home

By Nicole Darrah Fox News
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An Australian mother working for the United Nations in Fiji was found dead in her home on Tuesday and local authorities believe she may have been murdered, according to reports.

Jennifer Downes, who was professionally known as Jenna Lusaka, was allegedly killed, and her husband, Henry Lusaka John, was left seriously injured, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

AUSTRALIAN WOMAN, 20, FOUND STABBED TO DEATH BESIDE INJURED DAD IN CAR; FATHER CHARGED WITH MURDER

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the news outlet the agency is assisting the woman's family, but did not comment on the situation further. John reportedly remains under "police guard" at a hospital in the capital of Suva.

Jennifer Downes, an employee of the United Nations' World Food Programme, was reportedly found dead in her home in Fiji on Tuesday.

Jennifer Downes, an employee of the United Nations' World Food Programme, was reportedly found dead in her home in Fiji on Tuesday. (WFP/Jemma Pietrus)

Downes worked for the World Food Programme (WFP), the food-assistance sector of the U.N. Farhan Haq, a deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said "The UN closely collaborates with national law enforcement authorities in Fiji in following up on this case."

In a Medium post published in June 2018, Downes described how much she loved her job as a logistics officer. The U.N. wrote that "with her zest for the role, good-humored nature, and more than 10 years of field experience, Jenna is working with partners across the Pacific on building knowledge on logistics systems, tools, and operational planning for disaster preparedness."

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The mother-of-three "worked tirelessly to bring logistics tools and knowledge to the communities in the Pacific islands, helping them prepare for and respond to natural disasters," a spokesperson for the WFP told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Authorities in Suva are reportedly investigating her death as suspicious, but further information was not immediately clear.