WHO Scandal: Documents Show Congo Abuse Victims Got $250 Each

Internal documents from the World Health Organization say they gave Congolese sexual abuse victims whom WHO officials assaulted $250 each.

During the Ebola crisis in 2019, the WHO was involved in its biggest sex scandal ever, when staff members and others abused over 100 local women in Congo.

The WHO’s internal documents report that the doctor leading the collective’s efforts to prevent sexual abuse, Dr. Gaya Gamhewage, traveled to the country in March. And, once there, according to the papers, Gamhewage investigated the alleged assaults.

A Congolese women's silhouette in front of a window with a light-fabric curtain. — Report finds WHO officials sexually abused over 100 women in Congo during an Ebola outbreak. (Source: UN Photo / Marie Frechon)

The report found that the doctor met an abuse victim who gave birth to a baby with “a malformation that required special medical treatment.” This malformation cost the lady more money in Congo, among the world’s poorest countries.

Gamehewage found that officials working to stop Ebola had sexually exploited over 100 women.

WHO recorded that they paid at least 104 alleged sexual abuse victims from the scandal $250 each. However, the payments came at a cost to the victims. The WHO told survivors that they had to finish training courses for them to do “income-generating activities.”

The organization noted that this amount should cover living expenses for four months. They added that many people survive on less than $2.15 daily in Congo.

Criticism For ‘Perverse’ Payments

However, this compensation figure has sparked criticism from some. WHO reportedly paid Gamehwage $269 for every day investigating in Congo ($19 more than abuse victims got to cover four months).

Among those condemning the amount was the Co-director of the Code Blue campaign, Paula Donovan. The campaign is AIDS-Free World’s movement for ending UN sexual abuse. Donovan called the WHO payments for the scandal’s survivors “perverse.”

“It’s not unheard of for the UN to give people seed money so they can boost their livelihoods, but to mesh that with compensation for a sexual assault, or a crime that results in the birth of a baby, is unthinkable,” she said.

In an interview with AP, Gamewage said, “There is nothing we can do to make up for (sexual abuse and exploitation).” She continued,

“Obviously, we haven’t done enough.”

The doctor added the WHO would ask victims what more help they wanted.

A worker hoses down someone wearing PPE outside on dry earth during an Ebola outbreak. There is a thatch-roof hut and brick house in the background. — One survivor told the WHO that an official forced to have sex for a job tackling the Ebola crisis. (Source: European Union / ECHO / Jean-Louis Mosser)

The Survivors Speak

WHO’s internal report said that two women who met with Gamhewage said they most wanted “perpetrators to be brought to account so they could not harm anyone else.”

“They promised to show us evidence this has been taken care of, but there has been no follow-up,” said Denise, 31.

Audia, 24, told AP a WHO staff member forced her into having sex in exchange for giving her a job during the Ebola crisis. She added that the official impregnated her.

Audia got, in her words, a “really insufficient” $250 from the health organization after doing baking and tailoring courses. She has a five-year-old daughter now. She said,

“I can’t put my trust in (WHO) anymore.”

Audia added,”When they abandon you in such difficulties and leave you without doing anything, it’s irresponsible.”

The WHO said about a third of the survivors were “impossible to locate,” so they hadn’t offered them the $250 each.

The organization commissioned a panel that found there were at least 83 sexual abuse perpetrators during the WHO’s Ebola crisis efforts. It discovered that at least 21 perpetrators were WHO staff members. The youngest-found victim was 13.

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