Ebola crisis: How "WHO staff chop accuse of sexual abuse" of Congo local women dem dey treat of Ebola, give two belle
Di World Health Organization (WHO) don promise to investigate accuse say aid workers wey dey tackle di Ebola outbreak for di Democratic Republic of Congo dey sexually abuse and kolobi women.
One woman say one doctor sexually exploit her. She pose for foto for Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, August 20, 2020. 50 women for one joint investigation by two news agencies accuse WHO and oda aid agency staff. Di accuse be say dem give local women drinks, "ambush" dem for hospitals, force dem to have sex, and two of dem even become pregnant. Di accuse cover di period between 2018 and March dis year. Di New Humanitarian news agency and di Thomson Reuters Foundation carry out di investigation. WHO say dem go torchlight di allegations. "We go hold anyone wey we see say e dey involved accountable and im go face serious punishment plus we go send am comot immediately," one statement tok. "We no go fit betray any community we dey serve." Who di investigation implicate pass? Most of di allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation na against men, plus doctors, wey dem tok say na from di WHO. At least 30 women accuse dem, di news agencies report am. Di next highest number of accuse - by eight women - na against men wey dem tok say come from DR Congo health ministry. Dem also name two oda UN agencies, and four international charities, for di report. Some of di men dem accuse come from Belgium, Burkina Faso, Canada, France, Guinea-Conakry and Ivory Coast. Many men refuse to wear condoms, and dem tok say at least two women don get belle sake of di abuse, Di news agency report. Wetin di women tok? One 25-year-old cleaner say WHO doctor invite am to im house to discuss one promotion. "He close di door and tell me: 'E get condition. We need to have sex right now," di woman tok. "He start to dey remove my clothes. I step back but he force himself against me and begin pull off my clothes. I start to dey cry and tell am to stop... He no stop. So I open di door and run out." For anoda case, one 32-year-old Ebola survivor tell di new agencies say dem invite her to one hotel for counselling. For di lobby, dem give her soft drink. She say she wake up hours later, naked and alone for one hotel room, and believe say dem rape her. Why dem exploit di women? Many women say dem force dem to have sex in exchange for jobs, one pesin describe am as "passport to employment" and another say "dem hire you wit eyeballs". Women say dem meet dem outside supermarkets for di eastern city of Beni, job recruitment centres, and hospitals wia dem post lists of successful candidates. Di news agencies also quote one woman say "di practice of men demanding sex don become so common sotee dat na di only way to get job".