WHO head in Middle East ‘disturbed’ by abuse reported by AP

By MARIA CHENG
AP Medical Writer

LONDON (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean region has told staff in an email that he is “very disturbed” by allegations reported by The Associated Press that the U.N. health agency’s Syria director misspent millions, abused staff and violated the organization’s own COVID-19 protocols as the pandemic swept across the country. This week, two members of WHO’s ethics department in Geneva are visiting the agency’s Eastern Mediterranean headquarters in Cairo. Last week, the AP published an investigation showing that WHO staffers told investigators that the agency’s Syria representative engaged in abusive behavior, pressured WHO staff to sign contracts with high-ranking Syrian politicians and plied government officials with gifts.