DR Congo, First Published Sep 29, 2021, 9:16 PM IST
During the Ebola outbreak, several women were raped by World Health Organization (WHO) workers who arrived in Congo for health work. The shocking findings come as the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an independent inquiry into the allegations. The investigation report was released by the committee yesterday.
The report states that 83 sexual harassment complaints were received against WHO staff. World Health Organization (WHO) workers, both nationals and foreigners, are on trial. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adonom Gabrios said the incident was “painful”. He said strict action would be taken against the culprits. Matshidiso Mote, director of the World Health Organization in charge of the Africa region, said the report’s findings were heartbreaking. “I apologize to the women and girls who were killed,” she said in a statement.
The 35-page report lists the number of sexual assaults carried out by a World Health Organization team that arrived in the Congo during the Ebola outbreak in 2018-2020. Both the international team and those employed locally are to blame. The report states that all 20 staff members of the organization are guilty. Doctors are also on the list.
The report describes several shocking experiences. There is a little girl in the group. The girl told investigators that she was taken to a hotel by a WHO official and raped. ” I had a job selling phone cards on the roadside in Manjina. In April 2019, an officer promised to take him home and put him in the vehicle. He went straight to the hotel room. He was raped there, “said Tariq al-Hashimi, the party’s secretary general.
At a news conference, the commission said it had received nine complaints of rape by WHO staff. Some women became pregnant because of sexual harassment without the use of contraceptives. The committee notes that some of the women said they were forced to have abortions by some employees.
According to the report, women were sexually exploited despite being offered temporary jobs by the World Health Organization. The names of 83 employees are mentioned in the report. These include locals and foreigners. In 21 of these cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the allegations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) appointed the commission of inquiry last October. The media reported that WHO staff were widely sexually harassed under the guise of the Ebola epidemic. Following this, an inquiry committee was appointed. Four employees have already been laid off. Two employees were reportedly sent on compulsory leave.
Last Updated Sep 29, 2021, 9:16 PM IST
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