Liberia, Guinea & Sierra Leone
Refugee children abused "extensively" by staff

afrol News, 27 February - Children are subjected to "extensive" sexual exploitation in refugee camps in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, according to an assessment released by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and organisation Save the Children UK. Much of the abuse is allegedly perpetrated by local staff.

The local staff is employed by national and international aid organisations, including UNHCR, according to the assessment, which is based on testimony from children in camps gathered during a 40-day mission to the region by a team from the two organisations. 

In all three countries, workers reportedly used "the very humanitarian aid and services intended to benefit the refugee population as a tool of exploitation," the team said. 

The report concludes most of the alleged "exploiters" were male national staff who traded humanitarian commodities and services for sex with girls under 18. It says the practice appears particularly pronounced in places with significant and established aid programmes. The problem appears to be especially pronounced in refugee camps in Guinea and Liberia, it says.

In addition to aid workers, the paper also cites allegations of sexual exploitation against children by international peacekeepers and community leaders. In all, more than 40 agencies and organisations and nearly 70 individuals were mentioned in various testimonies. 

While UNHCR makes it clear that the team "was not in a position to verify the allegations" it received, the number of allegations "leaves no doubt that there is a serious problem of sexual exploitation demanding further action." Save the Children UK states "the assessment mission was neither an investigation nor an in-depth research study - and therefore was not conducted with the same rigour as would have been required of either." 

UNHCR has already begun a process of further action and investigation and a team of investigators is currently in the region carrying out a preliminary, low profile investigation that will include determining how best to proceed without endangering the children involved. "Some specific, unsubstantiated allegations collected by the mission will for the time being remain confidential pending further investigation, for the protection of the children, or for reasons of fairness," Save the Children informs. 

The UN refugees agency further had formulated a series of remedial measures "to ensure that aid is not used as currency in sexual exploitation," UN sources say. "These include increasing the international presence in refugee camps, deploying more female staff, establishing a secure reporting mechanism for raising complaints, identifying the most vulnerable and increasing security for them and ensuring those abused have access to the legal system so violators are prosecuted."

Sources: Based on Save the Children UK, UN sources and afrol archives