Community leaders in Cabo Delgado province involved in food distribution demand sexual favors to get support to victims of Islamic terrorism, africanews reported.
The site writes that "women have been coerced into giving sex in exchange for money or food aid."
The allegations were made to the United Nations by the beneficiaries. The World Food Program (WFP) is already investigating the recent allegations of sexual abuse and violence.
Fresh sex-for-aid claims in Mozambique: rights group https://t.co/mnRgOaGNif
- africanews 😷 (@africanews) September 8, 2021
The WFP official in Cabo Delgado province, Maurício Bortee, held a meeting on Thursday with local officials about the situation.
"These concerns that we receive refer to abuse of power by community leaders or trading food for sex," he said, stressing that the organization has "zero tolerance" for these types of situations.
"Our goal is always to bring assistance without harming the people we serve and that is why we are here to address these issues, along with all the partners involved," he stressed.
The terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado started in October 2017 and have caused hundreds of deaths, affected more than 50,000 people, mostly women and children, who are now clamoring for support in shelters.