Children sexually abused by U.N. peacekeepers

/28 May 2008./ Children in post-conflict zones are being abused by peacekeepers and humanitarian organization activists in post-conflict zones, said the Britain children’s charity organization “Save the Children” that researched the problem for one year in Ivory Coast, southern Sudan and Haiti.

More than half of children in these three countries told they knew cases of forced sex with peacekeepers, and workers sent there to help sometimes abused the children as young as 6 years old, despite much promises given by the U.N. that they would eliminate this kind of malfaisance.

Foundings of the report say the international organization did not make sufficient efforts to eliminate sexual abuse of children made by U.N. personnel, although, at the conference held on December 2006, U.N. officials and aid agencies promised that adequate steps would be taken.

„Save the Children“ registered in the past year 15 cases of improper conduct towards the children among its associates where three incidents are proved, and one person was dismissed. Association of Britain relief organizations „Oksfam“ receveid in the same period 12 exploitation and abuse claims, three persons were accused of it.

At the end of the past year, U.N. started the investigation on the corruption in making agreement on peacekeeping missions, which total value is 610 milion dolars.