Staffers on the World Health Organization’s Syrian workplace have alleged that their boss mismanaged tens of millions of dollars, plied authorities officials with items — together with computers, gold coins and vehicles — and acted lightly as COVID-19 swept the united states.
More than a hundred exclusive documents, messages and other substances obtained via The Associated Press show WHO officers told investigators that the employer’s Syria representative, Dr. Akjemal Magtymova, engaged in abusive behavior, compelled WHO group of workers to sign contracts with excessive-ranking Syrian government politicians and continually misspent WHO and donor price range.
Magtymova declined to respond to questions about the allegations, saying that she become “prohibited” from sharing statistics “due to (her) responsibilities as a WHO team of workers member.” She defined the accusations as “defamatory.”
Complaints from at the least a dozen personnel have triggered one in every of the biggest internal WHO probes in years, at times involving greater than 20 investigators, consistent with staffers related to the investigation.WHO confirmed in a announcement that it’s been reviewing fees made against Magtymova and said it has additionally enlisted the assist of outside investigators.
“It has been a long and complex investigation, with the situation within the united states and the demanding situations of gaining suitable access, at the same time as making sure the protection of staff, bringing extra complications,” WHO said. The agency said development has been made in latest months in assessing the lawsuits concerning Magtymova and amassing relevant records.
“In view of the safety state of affairs, confidentiality and recognize for due technique do now not permit us to remark similarly on the exact allegations,” WHO stated. It gave no timeline for when the investigation became anticipated to be completed.WHO’s Syria workplace had a price range of approximately $115 million closing year to deal with fitness issues in a country riven via war — one in which nearly ninety% of the population lives in poverty and extra than 1/2 desperately need humanitarian useful resource. For several months, investigators have been probing allegations that Syrians had been badly served and WHO staffers had been ill-treated:
— Financial documents display Magtymova once threw a celebration costing greater than $10,000 — a meeting held frequently to honor her very own achievements at WHO’s cost, staffers say, at a time when the country changed into struggling to obtain coronavirus vaccines.In December 2020, within the midst of the pandemic, she tasked the extra than one hundred WHO personnel in the united states with mastering a flash mob dance, asking officers to movie themselves appearing the choreographed steps for a U.N. Birthday party, in step with movies and messages seen by the AP.
— Six Syria-based WHO public health professionals said Magtymova called staffers “cowards” and “retarded” on more than one activities. Even more regarding, the officials advised corporation investigators that Magtymova “furnished favors” to senior politicians inside the Syrian regime and met surreptitiously with the Russian army, capacity breaches of WHO’s neutrality as a U.N. Organization. The staffers requested no longer to be named for worry of retribution; three have left WHO.
