The Independent Commission nominated serious accusations of sexual exploitation against the World Health Organization, UN and other humanitarian missions.
According to Deutsche Vella, with reference to the final report, the staff of these organizations during an operation to combat the tropical fever of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was subjected to sexual violence of dozens of people. Crimes committed from August 2018 to June 2020.
The 35-page document speaks of a huge “scale of sexual exploitation and abuse.” Thus, the commission interviewed 75 victims, 63 of them – women, another 12 – men. According to the victims, WHO employees and other organizations promised them in exchange for intimate services. In addition, there were cases of rapes, at least 29 women got pregnant. Suspected – 83 men, among them – 21 WHO employee.
The number of victims and alleged criminals may be greater, their final list is not yet drawn up, the report says.
WHO CEO Tedros Adhan Ghebresus brought apologies for the occasions of sexual violence in the Congo on the part of the organization’s employees. Now it “the priority is not an apology of criminals, but their attraction to justice,” said the head of the World Health Organization.