Aid workers accused of sexually exploiting African children
The United Nations has revealed that staff in a number of relief agencies have been accused of sexually exploiting refugee children in west Africa.
The UN High Commission for Refugees and British charity Save the Children have conducted an investigation into alleged exploitation in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
They found that much of the exploitation was perpetrated by people employed by national and international Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), as well as by UN agencies.
The UN found that most of the victims were girls, but there were also some alleged incidents involving boys being victimised by women.
Those who conducted the investigation have stressed that the allegations have not been verified, but added that "the number of allegations leaves no doubt that there is a serious problem of sexual exploitation".
