WHO Staff Sent to Congo to Combat Ebola... Impregnated 29 Women

Approach During Ebola Eradication Efforts in Congo
WHO Director-General: "Perpetrators Will Be Held Accountable"

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] It has been revealed that staff members of the World Health Organization (WHO), under the United Nations (UN), sexually abused women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus apologized, stating, "The perpetrators will be held accountable."

On the 28th (local time), according to AFP and other sources, WHO announced the results of an independent investigation into the sexual exploitation by its staff. The report revealed that from September 2018 to June 2020, 83 WHO employees committed sexual crimes against women in Congo.

During the Ebola eradication efforts in Congo, these individuals approached Congolese women by promising "jobs" and coerced them into sexual acts in exchange, threatening their livelihoods if they refused. Among them, 21 were identified as doctors, drivers, or other staff dispatched to or employed locally in Congo.

Twenty-nine victims became pregnant unintentionally due to the perpetrators not using contraceptives during the assaults, and they testified that they were forced to have abortions by the offenders.

Among the victims was a 13-year-old girl. The report states, "The girl was selling phone cards by the village road, and a WHO driver stopped the car, saying he would take her home. However, he took her to a hotel."

At a press conference on the same day (28th), WHO Director-General Tedros said, "The first thing I want to say to the victims and survivors is sorry." He added, "We will ban perpetrators of sexual abuse from being employed by WHO," and explained, "We have already terminated the contracts of four individuals."

Meanwhile, the misconduct of WHO staff was first reported in September last year. British media such as The Guardian interviewed women who were sexually exploited by staff from WHO and major NGOs. At that time, UNICEF, Oxfam, and World Vision were also implicated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.