Kevin Jenkins, president and chief executive officer of World Vision International, has vowed to uncover the truth behind the accusations made against the organisation's Gaza director, Mohammad El Halabi, who reportedly diverted millions of dollars from the humanitarian group to the Islamist terrorist organisation Hamas.
"As a professional Christian, humanitarian organisation, we take our commitment to truth and transparency very seriously. For more than 65 years, we have stayed true to our mission to work with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice around the world," Jenkins writes in an article for Charisma News.
World Vision says it will complete its investigation of the allegations before taking any action. What people can be assured of, Jenkins says, is that "World Vision condemns any diversion of funds from any humanitarian organisation and strongly condemns any act of terrorism or support for those activities."
The organisation has already suspended its operations in Gaza so as not to interfere with its review, including a forensic audit. If the allegations made against Halabi are true, World Vision is prepared to "take swift and decisive action," Jenkins says.
"Unfortunately, we still have not seen any of the evidence. We look forward to an ongoing dialogue to be able to clarify discrepancies, and we call for a fair and transparent legal process," he says.
He explains that Halabi, who has served as the World Vision's manager since October 2014, can only process an amount as high as $15,000 at a time, even though their Gaza budget for the past 10 years is roughly around $22.5 million.
World Vision officials are also very selective in the recruitment of their employees, only choosing like-minded individuals who are committed to their values and pose no risk to their partners, communities, and programmes.
"World Vision uses background checks and the well-regarded WatchDOG Elite system to screen staff against approximately 20 blocked-party lists," Jenkins shares.
"It is tragic that this issue is taking us away from our work on important issues of injustice and poverty affecting billions of children around the world," Jenkins adds. "We are committed to acting in a way that is transparent and respectful of the ongoing legal process, upholds our values as an organization and builds trust in humanitarian organizations working in Gaza and around the world."
