International agencies battle against sexual abuse in humanitarian efforts. (Children, Youth & Family).

LONDON, UK -- UNICEF, the World Food Program and Save the Children Fund-U.K. have begun workshops to prevent women and children from falling victim to sexual exploitation and abuse aid agency staff during humanitarian operations in southern Africa, where as many as 13 million in six drought-ridden countries are threatened with starvation.

According to UN Wire, representatives from government, the United Nations, nongovernmental organizations, human rights organizations, the military, the police, transporters and village chiefs participated in a workshop in Malawi in August. Similar workshops were held in Swaziland and Zimbabwe and are planned for Mozambique, Lesotho and Zambia.

According to WFP emergency officer in Malawi, Amy Horton, humanitarian workers have a "responsibility to beneficiaries to make sure we provide the assistance in a respectful manner, it goes back to (the dictum) `do no harm.'"

The program "is trying to mitigate the abuse of power in the humanitarian context," she added. "We are going to stimulate awareness of the IASC [Interagency Standing Committee] code of conduct, we're going to conduct sensitization and awareness campaigns".

Xinhua News Agency reports that participants at the sessions are being told that a zero-tolerance policy should be in place for abusers. "Managers of aid organizations need to know how to look for the signs and understand at what points on the supply chain there is the most risk".