NEW YORK/GENEVA/ROME, 30 January 2024 – The allegations of involvement of several UNRWA staff in the heinous attacks on Israel on 7 October are horrifying. As the Secretary-General has said, any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable. However, we must not prevent an entire organization from delivering on its mandate to serve people in desperate need.
This paper considers a series of cultural barriers that experts on protection against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (PSEAH) and humanitarian managers believe are still hindering our collective progress.