Red Cross Finds Millions Of Organization’s Ebola Aid Lost To Fraud

The Guardian: Red Cross ‘outraged’ over pilfering of Ebola aid millions by its own staff
“The Red Cross has admitted that millions of dollars meant for fighting the deadly outbreak of Ebola in west Africa were siphoned off by its own staff. The organisation’s own investigations uncovered evidence of fraud, with more than $2.1m (£1.6m) lost in Sierra Leone, probably stolen by staff in collusion with local bank officials, according to a statement. In Guinea, a mixture of fake and inflated customs bills cost it $1m. The Red Cross, the world’s oldest humanitarian organisation, said it was ‘outraged’ at the losses but its statement did not contain any apology. It said it was ‘committed to holding all those involved in any form of fraud to account, and to reclaiming all misappropriated, diverted, or otherwise illegally taken funds’…” (Maclean, 11/3).

Associated Press/Washington Post: Red Cross: $6 million for Ebola fight stolen through fraud
“…The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was ‘outraged’ by what it had uncovered, and was strengthening its efforts to fight corruption, including introducing cash spending limits in ‘high-risk settings.’ It also plans to send trained auditors along with emergency operations teams. Other measures will include additional staff training and ‘the establishment of a dedicated and independent internal investigation function’…” (Roy-Macaulay/Larson, 11/4).

Additional reporting provided by: Deutsche Welle, Fortune, Newsweek, and VOA News.

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