UN personnel accused of 37 sexual exploitation, abuse allegations

The United Nations received 37 sexual exploitation and abuse allegations involving UN personnel in the first quarter of this year, a UN spokesman said Thursday.

"For the first quarter of this year, the United Nations received 37 allegations involving UN personnel, including civilian and uniformed personnel from peacekeeping as well as personnel of agency, funds and programs," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at the daily news briefing.

Of the 37 allegations related to UN personnel, there are 49 victims: 28 women and 11 girls, one boy, 7 females of unknown age, one unknown adult and one unknown child, said Haq.

"We also received 33 allegations involving non-UN personnel working as implementing partners. These allegations involve 37 victims and 38 perpetrators," Haq added.

The spokesman noted that "our efforts to implement the secretary-general's strategy to combat sexual exploitation and abuse have continued to be strengthened."