In the past year, the United Nations aid agency, supported by Angelina Jolie, has been accused of 19 cases of sexual abuse by its staff, with three involving individuals under 18. These allegations have been reported against workers in various regions including Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. In 2017, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) received close to £100 million from British taxpayers. Consequently, the Department for International Development (DFID) is convening a crisis meeting in response to these troubling revelations.
Over the course of just one year, the aid agency associated with the United Nations, with the backing of famous actress Angelina Jolie, has faced a disturbing total of 19 allegations of sexual misconduct involving its employees.
Tomorrow, Penny Mordaunt, the UK’s International Aid Secretary, is set to host a summit focusing on implementing safeguarding measures within the charity sector. This summit, done in collaboration with the Charity Commission, aims to tackle the urgent issue of abuse scandals. Secretary Mordaunt has requested charities that receive funding from the UK’s £13 billion aid budget to provide information on how they have addressed past abuse allegations. So far, 161 charities have responded to her request. As a result, notable details have surfaced from some of the largest names in overseas aid.
:strip_icc():format(webp)/kly-media-production/medias/997015/original/074208200_1442901235-Angelina-Jolie-150922.jpg)
The UN refugee agency, led by Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie as its special envoy, recently reported a case of abuse in 2016, resulting in the dismissal of a staff member. In 2017, they received 19 complaints of sexual exploitation or abuse, with ongoing assessments of six of these cases. Shockingly, one of the alleged victims was just 17 years old. Unfortunately, there is limited information available regarding two other cases involving minors. Although Angelina Jolie has refrained from commenting directly on the matter, a close source revealed her deep distress and condemnation of the allegations, having expressed her concerns to the organization. On a different note, Adam Smith International, a government contractor, has yet to respond to the Department for International Development’s information request due to an internal review investigating questionable practices in securing contracts. The review aims to evaluate the extent and nature of historic cases of sexual misconduct and the effectiveness of their management. Overall, the upcoming summit and subsequent actions taken by these organizations will be crucial in addressing the issue of abuse within the charity sector and ensuring the safety and well-being of those who rely on aid.
Angelina Jolie was seen in a photo with children at a refugee camp near the village of Komsomolskiy in North Ossetia back in August of 2003. The Prince’s Trust, an organization that received £14 million in public funding the previous year, recently revealed that three of its employees faced disciplinary action due to insensitive or inappropriate behavior towards young people. While this behavior was not considered sexual abuse, it still warranted appropriate consequences, with one employee being dismissed as a result. On the other hand, Amnesty International, which does not rely on public funding, reported three cases of alleged sexual harassment within the past decade. Consequently, a volunteer was dismissed from the organization. All of these cases occurred in the United Kingdom. VSO, a contractor associated with DFID, announced that in the last three years, eight allegations of sexual misconduct by employees were reported. As a result, six of these employees had their contracts terminated. It is important to note that all reported misconduct incidents occurred outside of the United Kingdom.
