[ad_1]
published photo, Getty Images
A report on the sexual abuse of women and girls by WHO staff, who were among 83 aid workers, as they battled the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The abuse, which included nine counts of rape, was committed by local and international workers between 2018 and 2020.
The report comes after more than 50 local women reported being sexually assaulted.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, called it “unforgivable”.
An independent commission prepared the 35-page report after conducting inquiries.
The commission, which interviewed dozens of women who said they had been offered work in exchange for sex, found that 21 of the 83 people charged were working for the World Health Organization.
The investigation revealed that some local women who were given more drinks were “trapped” in some hospitals and forced to have sex, causing two of them to become pregnant.
The World Health Organization said it had terminated the contracts of four people working for the organization and promised to take further action.
published photo, THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
Eastern Congo was the region most affected by the Ebola virus
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Tedros said the report was shocking and apologized directly to victims and survivors.
He added: “I apologize for what the people working for the World Health Organization have done to serve and protect you. Holding the culprits accountable and not forgiving them is my top priority.”
He said he was assuming his responsibilities and was committed to helping and protecting the victims, while also committing to reforming the structure and culture of the World Health Organization.
Machidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, also apologized to the women who had suffered “because of the actions of our staff”.
She said she was “ashamed, horrified and saddened” by the results of the investigation.
The commission said it had detected “clear structural failings and reluctance to face the risks of incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse” in the central African country.
She added that this was in part due to the focus on eradicating the Ebola virus.
More than 2,000 people have died from the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organization, which has led global efforts to curb the spread of the disease, declared the disease eradicated in June of last year.
Source link
