Behind the Headlines: Safeguarding in Emergencies

Dr Fiona Braka, WHO's program area manager for emergency response in the African region, talks about the 2021 Independent Commission report on allegations of sexual misconduct during the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the previous year.

Fiona talks about her shock and horror at learning about the allegations, the sadness she felt for victims and the sense of shame that the allegations were being leveled at the organization by the very communities it was meant to serve.

While there are still challenges around funding and resources, we learn about the steps taken since the report to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse in emergency operations - and the work going into rebuilding trust within communities.