DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The United Nations in Chad has launched an internal investigation following an Associated Press report on allegations of sexual exploitation of Sudanese refugees, including aid workers.
The statement, written days after the AP published the story last week, was seen Tuesday. It said the seriousness of the allegations in the AP story warranted immediate and strong action and that those responsible should be punished.
“Refugees are already vulnerable and traumatized by the events that led them to flee their countries and should under no circumstances be subjected to abuse by those who should be helping them,” said Francois Batalingaya, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad . .
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The UN did not immediately respond to questions about what the internal investigation entailed.
Earlier this month, the AP reported allegations from some Sudanese women and girls that men, including those meant to protect them, such as humanitarian workers and local security forces, had instead sexually exploited them at Chad’s IDP sites. They said the men offered money, easier access to aid and jobs. Such sexual exploitation in Chad is a crime.
Hundreds of thousands of people, most of them women, have flocked to Chad to escape Sudan’s civil war, which has killed more than 20,000 people.
Sexual exploitation during major humanitarian crises is not uncommon, especially in displacement sites. Aid groups have long struggled to combat the problem, citing a lack of reporting by women, not enough money to respond and a focus on meeting basic needs first.
Experts say exploitation represents a deep failure of the aid community and that people seeking protection should never have to make choices based on survival.
The UN said it has raised the risk alert level for protection against sexual exploitation or abuse to four, which is very high, especially as Chad was already classified as a high-risk country. Raising the alert is intended to allow the UN to take quick action in the next three months, according to an internal email about the AP article, which has been circulating among aid groups and was seen by the AP.
The UN said it is working with local authorities and human rights groups to hold those responsible to account and that refugees’ trust in humanitarian workers is of paramount importance.
The organization has encouraged anyone with information about exploitation to come forward.
