WHO to investigate sexual abuse allegations in DR Congo

The World Health Organization said it is investigating allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against aid workers in the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"The actions allegedly perpetrated by individuals identifying themselves as working for the WHO are unacceptable and will be robustly investigated," the WHO said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that it has a zero tolerance policy with regard to sexual exploitation and abuse.

The statement by the WHO follows an investigative report by the New Humanitarian and the Thomson Reuters Foundation that involved interviews with 51 women who recounted multiple incidents of abuse during the 2018 to 2020 Ebola crisis, mainly by men who said they were international workers.

The investigation was conducted over almost a year. It said some women were plied with drinks, others ambushed in offices and hospitals, and some locked in rooms by men who promised jobs or threatened to fire them if they did not comply.

In addition to men who said they were working for the WHO, the investigation said men from UNICEF, Oxfam, Médecins Sans Frontières, World Vision, ALIMA, and the International Organization for Migration also were involved.

WHO said Director-General Dr. Tedros Gebreyesus, has initiated a thorough review of the specific allegations, as well as broader protection issues in health emergency response settings.

The UN agency said anyone identified as being involved will be held to account and face serious consequences, including immediate dismissal.

"The betrayal of people in the communities we serve is reprehensible. We do not tolerate such behavior in any of our staff, contractors or partners," the WHO said.