U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs
10/01/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/01/2021 07:36
McCaul: Investigation into Sexual Abuse by WHO Employees in DRC “Horrifying and Disgusting”
Media Contact 202-225-5021
Washington, D.C. - House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul released the following statement in reaction to the Independent Commission's report on allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by World Health Organization (WHO) employees during the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The report concludes that initial allegations were substantiated, including incidents of rape committed against girls as young as 13 years old. The investigation also revealed that "senior-level WHO staff at headquarters were aware of the allegations as early as May 2019 but did not appropriately act on them."
"There must be full accountability for those responsible for and complicit in the rape and abuse of girls as young as 13 years old by WHO employees in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is horrifying and disgusting the very people called upon to help in a crisis would be the ones exploiting and abusing the community. We must redouble efforts to demand a zero-tolerance policy across the UN system and all aid programs."
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