World Health Organisation aid workers sexually exploited women during ebola crisis

More than 80 aid workers were involved in sexual abuse and exploitation during the ebola crisis in Africa, the World Health Organisation has admitted.

World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Picture: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

A bombshell report by the World Health Organisation has found that more than 80 aid workers were involved in sexual abuse and exploitation during the ebola crisis in Africa.

The newly released report was prompted following investigations by The Thomson Reuters Foundation and The New Humanitarian.

It found than more than 50 women accused aid workers from the WHO and other charities of demanding sex in exchange for jobs between 2018-2020.

In one case, a 13-year-old named Jolianne was selling phone recharge cards on the side of the road in April 2019 when a WHO driver offered her a ride home.

A health worker wears protective equipment as he looks on at Bikoro Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Picture: AFP

Instead he took her to a hotel where he raped her. She later gave birth to his child.

In other instances, women who were already employed by the organisation were sexually harassed by men who forced them to have sex to keep their jobs, get paid or a promotion.

The report also found at least 21 of 83 alleged perpetrators were employed by the WHO, and that the abuses, which included nine allegations of rape, were committed by both national and international staff.

The two-year-long outbreak of ebola killed more than 2200 people. Picture: AFP

WHO commission member Malick Coulibaly said that many of the men refused to wear a condom and 29 of the women became pregnant. Some were later forced into abortions.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the report made “harrowing reading” and apologised to the victims.

“What happened to you should never happen to anyone. It is inexcusable. It is my top priority to ensure that the perpetrators are not excused but are held to account,” he said.

In June last year, Congo’s government announced the end of the two-year outbreak of ebola that killed more than 2200 people – the second-largest outbreak since the virus was identified in 1976.