World Health Organization (WHO) officials shared their concerns after a report claimed that more than 80 aid workers, some of which were employed by the global agency, were allegedly involved in sexual abuse and exploitation in Congo during the Ebola crisis.

The report was released by an independent commission on Tuesday and was prompted by an investigation that was conducted last year by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in cooperation with The New Humanitarian. The probe found that more than 50 women accused aid workers from the WHO and other agencies of demanding sexual acts for their work from 2018 to 2020.

Sexual Abuse by WHO Employees

The commission's report discovered that 21 of the 83 suspects were employees of the WHO and found that the crimes, which included nine allegations of rape, were committed by national and international staff members.

"The review team has established that the presumed victims were promised jobs in exchange for sexual relations or in order to keep their jobs," said commission member Malick Coulibaly during a press briefing, The Jerusalem Post reported. 

Officials said that many of the male suspects did not use condoms when they committed sexual crimes. This resulted in 29 of the female victims getting pregnant and being forced to get abortions later on by their abusers.

The director-general of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has previously pledged zero tolerance for sexual abuse. The official is expected to seek a second term at the United Nations health body. Ghebreyesus expressed his apologies to the victims laid out in the report, which he said made a "harrowing reading."

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Ghebreyesus said that what happened to these victims should never have to happen to anyone in the world. The official called the actions of the perpetrators "inexcusable" and that it was his top priority that justice is served and the suspects are held accountable for their crimes.

In a statement, regional director Matshidiso Moeti said the WHO was "humbled, horrified, and heartbroken" after releasing the report's findings. Authorities have banned the suspects from being hired by the WHO in the future while the four who the health agency still employs have been terminated, CNN reported.

Lack of Preparedness

The commission's investigation also found that local women were also victimized when they were allegedly plied with drinks, "ambushed" in hospitals, and raped, resulting in two victims getting pregnant. In his speech at a news conference on Tuesday, Ghebreyesus apologized to the victims and said the ultimate responsibility fell on to his agency.

During the address, the WHO director-general committed to providing help, support, and protection for the victims of the crimes. Ghebreyesus also committed to overhauling the agency's structure and culture to prevent future similar incidents.

The commission also said that it found "clear structural failures and unpreparedness to manage the risks of incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse" within the central African country. The reason was attributed to the nation's focus on pushing back against the Ebola crisis in the region, BBC reported.

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