This tracker lists documented cases of corruption, fraud, bribery and serious misconduct involving the United Nations system, from the Oil-for-Food scandal of the early 2000s to the 2024 internal investigation of UNRWA staff. It includes only cases backed by court records, U.S. Justice Department releases, reports from UN oversight bodies or independent panels, or reporting by major news organizations.
Every case carries a status label so readers can tell the difference between an allegation, a formal charge, an oversight finding and a criminal conviction. A charge is not a conviction, and an oversight finding is not a court verdict.
Key numbers
Counts are of the cases in this table, not of all UN misconduct. Each case links to its source documents.
Dollar figures
These panels add up the dollar amounts stated in the sources for the cases on this page. They are grouped by what the money represents, because a court-proven bribe, an auditor’s loss estimate, untraced aid and the size of a program under review are not the same thing.
Each figure is a sum of amounts stated in the sources for cases in this tracker. The categories measure different things and should not be added together or compared as equivalents. The Oil-for-Food figure is money paid to Iraq's government, not money taken from the UN.
The largest single figure, about $1.8 billion, comes from the Volcker committee’s finding on payments to Saddam Hussein’s government under Oil-for-Food (IIC). Across the UN system, the Board of Auditors’ 2023 figures put the estimated loss from 828 reported cases of fraud and presumptive fraud at $18.78 million, with $8.82 million in the Secretariat and $7.2 million in peacekeeping operations (A/79/513). In the year to June 2025, OIOS estimated $4.18 million in potential recoveries from its audit recommendations, mostly overpayments, and reported $125,925 actually recovered (OIOS).
The cases
| Year | Agency | Case | Status | Amount (if sourced) | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20051996–2003 | Oil-for-Food Programme (UN Secretariat) | Oil-for-Food: Iraqi kickbacks and oil surchargesThe Volcker committee found about $1.55 billion in kickbacks on humanitarian contracts, linked to 2,253 companies, and about $229 million in oil surcharges. It noted that a company named in the report did not necessarily know of or authorize the payment. | Finding | $1.8 billion in illicit payments to Iraq (IIC) | [1] [2] |
| 20051993–2005 | UN Secretariat (procurement) | Alexander Yakovlev, UN procurement officerPleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering over payments from companies seeking UN contracts, routed through a company he set up, Moxyco. | Conviction | "At least several hundred thousand dollars" received (DOJ) | [1] |
| 2006Oil-for-Food era | Oil-for-Food Programme (UN Secretariat) | Tongsun Park, unregistered agent of IraqConvicted at trial of conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of Iraq in connection with the program; sentenced in February 2007 to five years in prison. | Conviction | $1.2 million forfeiture (DOJ) | [1] [2] |
| 20071998–2002 | Oil-for-Food Programme (UN Secretariat) | Benon Sevan, former Oil-for-Food executive directorIndicted on bribery and wire fraud conspiracy charges. The DOJ listed him as living in Nicosia, Cyprus, and lodged arrest warrants with Interpol. These are allegations, not findings of guilt. | Charged | About $160,000 alleged (indictment) | [1] |
| 20072000s | UN budget committee (ACABQ) | Vladimir Kuznetsov, chair of UN budget committeeConvicted of conspiring to launder proceeds of the Yakovlev bribery scheme; sentenced to 51 months in prison. | Conviction | More than $300,000 laundered (DOJ) | [1] [2] |
| 20072007 | Peacekeeping (MINUSTAH, Haiti) | Sri Lankan peacekeepers in HaitiMore than 100 members of a Sri Lankan battalion were sent home on disciplinary grounds after an OIOS inquiry into sexual exploitation and abuse allegations. | Finding | — | [1] |
| 20082006–2008 | UN Secretariat (procurement) | Procurement Task Force findingsThe OIOS task force, created after the Yakovlev case, reported confirmed corruption schemes in UN procurement before it was disbanded at the end of 2008. | Finding | 20 schemes; contracts of about $630 million (reported) | [1] [2] |
| 20081999–2007 | UNDP | UNDP operations in North Korea ("cash for Kim" allegations)An external panel found no evidence of consistent diversion of UNDP funds, but found weak controls, including hard-currency payments to government bodies. | Not substantiated | $23.8 million disbursed over the period (panel) | [1] [2] |
| 20102009–2010 | WFP | Somalia food aid diversion allegationsA UN Monitoring Group report alleged that up to half of food aid was diverted to contractors, armed groups and local UN staff. WFP's external auditor said no investigation could be effective without access to the evidence behind the allegations. | Allegation | Aid program worth about $485 million in 2009 (NYT) | [1] [2] |
| 20152014 | Peacekeeping / UN agencies (Central African Republic) | Response to child abuse allegations in CARAn independent panel found the UN's handling of reports that foreign troops abused children was a "gross institutional failure." Most of the accused soldiers were French forces not under UN command. | Finding | — | [1] [2] |
| 20152011–2015 | UN General Assembly | John Ashe, former General Assembly presidentCharged in 2015 over bribes tied to a proposed UN conference center in Macau. He died in June 2016 before trial, so the case against him was never decided. | Charged | $1.3 million bribery scheme alleged (FBI) | [1] [2] |
| 20172011–2015 | UN General Assembly | Ng Lap Seng, Macau developerConvicted of bribing UN ambassadors Francis Lorenzo and John Ashe; sentenced in May 2018 to 48 months in prison. | Conviction | $1 million fine; $1.5 million forfeiture (DOJ) | [1] |
| 20182014–2017 | UN General Assembly / ECOSOC-accredited NGO | Patrick Ho, CEFC NGO headConvicted of FCPA and money laundering offenses. His NGO held UN ECOSOC consultative status; Kutesa had recently been General Assembly president. Sentenced to three years. | Conviction | $500,000 bribe paid via Sam Kutesa's designated account (DOJ) | [1] |
| 20182010s | UNAIDS | UNAIDS harassment and abuse of power reviewAn independent expert panel described a "vacuum of accountability" at the UNAIDS secretariat. Executive Director Michel Sidibé later announced he would leave early. | Finding | — | [1] [2] |
| 20192010s | UNRWA | UNRWA senior-management investigationOIOS findings ruled out fraud or misappropriation of operational funds by Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl but identified management issues. He resigned in November 2019. | Finding | — | [1] [2] |
| 20212018–2020 | WHO | Sexual abuse during the DRC Ebola responseAn independent commission identified 83 alleged perpetrators, 21 of them confirmed WHO employees, including nine rape allegations. | Finding | — | [1] [2] |
| 20222018–2020 | UNOPS | S3i impact-investment lossesUNOPS lent reserves to seven special-purpose vehicles tied to one private group. Executive Director Grete Faremo resigned in May 2022. | Finding | $58.8 million fully impaired (Board of Auditors) | [1] [2] |
| 20232023 | WFP | Food aid diversion in EthiopiaWFP and the U.S. paused food aid after diversion reports. WFP's statement and a later USAID inspector general review describe the diversion and the gaps in monitoring. | Finding | — | [1] [2] |
| 20232023 | UN system (18 audited entities) | Board of Auditors: fraud and presumptive fraud, 2023UN entities reported 828 cases of fraud or presumptive fraud in 2023, up from 675 in 2021; 140 cases had been pending for more than two years. Some UNDP amounts are potential, not proven, losses. | Finding | $18.78 million estimated loss; $29.39 million written off | [1] |
| 20242023 | UNRWA | UNRWA staff and the Oct. 7 attackOIOS reviewed 19 staff: evidence indicated 9 may have been involved, was insufficient for 9 and absent for 1. OIOS said it could not independently authenticate most of Israel's information. | Finding | — | [1] [2] |
| 20242015–2024 | UNDP | Iraq Funding Facility for Stabilization bribery allegationsA Guardian investigation reported allegations that staff sought kickbacks from contractors. UNDP said it was looking into them; a management review found systems consistent with policy, and its audit office continued work, per Denmark's foreign ministry. | Allegation | Program backed by about $1.5 billion (Guardian) | [1] [2] [3] |
Click a column heading to sort. "Year" is when the court action or report became public; the small line under it is the period of the conduct where sources give one.
What the record shows
Criminal convictions in this table come from U.S. federal court in Manhattan, where prosecutors can act when bribes or laundered money pass through New York banks. Five people have been convicted in the cases listed here. Two of them, Alexander Yakovlev, a UN procurement officer, and Vladimir Kuznetsov, who chaired the General Assembly’s budget advisory committee, were UN insiders (DOJ; DOJ). The other three were outsiders accused of corrupting UN processes: Tongsun Park in the Oil-for-Food program, Macau developer Ng Lap Seng, who bribed two UN ambassadors, and Patrick Ho, whose bribe went to an account designated by a recent General Assembly president (DOJ; DOJ; DOJ).
The largest sums come from UN reviews rather than courts. The Volcker committee found that Saddam Hussein’s government took in about $1.8 billion in illicit payments through the Oil-for-Food program (IIC report). The UN Board of Auditors reported that UNOPS fully wrote off $58.8 million it had lent to projects tied to one private group (Board of Auditors).
Sexual exploitation and abuse is the other recurring category. Independent reviews of the Ebola response in Congo and of child abuse reports in the Central African Republic found serious failures in how UN bodies prevented and handled abuse (WHO commission; Deschamps panel).
Charts
Missing and unaccounted funds
This section tracks money that auditors, oversight offices or public-health authorities say could not be traced, was undocumented, or was lost to fraud in UN, NGO and aid-funded programs. The wording matters: “unaccounted for” means records are missing or funds have not been traced, while “fraud confirmed” means an investigation found theft or deception.
The largest figure is from Congo’s current Ebola outbreak. On Oct. 14, 2026, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said donors reported disbursing about $962 million to organizations running the response, but a verification exercise with Congolese health authorities traced only about $200 million, leaving more than $700 million to be accounted for. Fewer than 30% of implementing partners attended. Kaseya told Reuters it was too early to speak of embezzlement and described the gap as a transparency and financial reporting problem (Reuters; Africanews). No audit has yet found that the money was stolen.
Earlier, during the 2014–16 West Africa outbreak, Sierra Leone’s Audit Service reported about $6 million in government Ebola funds unaccounted for (NPR). Liberia’s General Auditing Commission reported about $800,000 not properly accounted for (Reuters). The IFRC found about $6 million lost to fraud in its own Ebola operations (AP).
| Year | Program | Amount (source wording) | Status | Auditor / source | Warrants investigation? | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | DRC Ebola response, 2026 outbreakDonor funds disbursed to implementing partners (UN agencies and NGOs)Africa CDC said donors reported disbursing about $962 million to implementing partners; fewer than 30% of partners came to a verification meeting, and about $200 million could be traced. Kaseya said it was too early to speak of embezzlement (Reuters). | More than $700 million not yet traced | Unaccounted (reporting gap) | Africa CDC with Congo's health authorities | YesAn official public-health body says the funds are untraced and that its inquiries will continue; no completed audit yet. | [1] [2] [3] |
| 2015 | 2014–16 West Africa Ebola: Sierra Leone government fundsTreasury and public-donation Ebola accounts (not UN or NGO funds)The audit covered May–October 2014 government accounts, not donor money routed through UN agencies or NGOs. Anti-corruption officials were reported in 2015 to be investigating; we have not found the outcome. | About $6 million unaccounted for; further spending lacked full documentation | Unaccounted (audit finding) | Audit Service Sierra Leone | YesOfficial auditor found unaccounted funds; we found no published result of the follow-up investigation. | [1] [2] [3] |
| 2015 | 2014–16 West Africa Ebola: Liberia National Ebola Trust FundGovernment-run trust fund, mostly foreign donationsMost of the amount passed through the defense ministry. The government said auditees could bring documents to a legislative hearing. Donor funds outside the trust fund were not audited. | About $800,000 not properly accounted for | Unaccounted (audit finding) | Liberia General Auditing Commission | YesOfficial auditor flagged unaccounted funds; we found no published resolution. | [1] |
| 2017 | 2014–16 West Africa Ebola: IFRC operationsRed Cross (IFRC) Ebola operations in Sierra Leone, Guinea and LiberiaIFRC said it was working with Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commission to pursue those involved and to reclaim misappropriated funds. IFRC is not a UN body. | About $6 million lost to fraud (AP); IFRC gave CHF 2.13m, 1.17m and 2.7m | Fraud confirmed (internal investigation) | IFRC investigations | Not determinedFraud was confirmed by IFRC, which referred cases to authorities; we have not found prosecution or recovery outcomes. | [1] [2] |
| 2011 | Global Fund grants (2010–11 Inspector General reports)Global Fund grants in Mali, Mauritania, Djibouti, Zambia and other countriesThe Global Fund said criminal proceedings were under way in Mali, Mauritania and Zambia and suspended grants. The Global Fund is a partnership, not a UN agency. | $34 million recovery demanded; $44.2 million misuse tabled | Fraud and misuse confirmed (OIG) | Global Fund Office of the Inspector General | Not determinedLosses were confirmed and recovery demanded; we have not verified how much was recovered. | [1] [2] |
| 2022 | UNOPS S3i investmentsUNOPS reserves lent to seven special-purpose vehiclesThe Board of Auditors' 2024 report said no funds had been recovered and recovery efforts, including on criminal accountability, were continuing. | $58.8 million fully impaired | Loss confirmed (audit) | UN Board of Auditors | YesOfficial auditor reports unrecovered funds and ongoing recovery work. | [1] [2] |
| 2023 | WFP food aid in EthiopiaWFP and USAID food assistanceFood aid was paused nationwide in 2023 after diversion reports. A USAID OIG review found monitoring and reporting gaps. | No total published by WFP | Diversion documented | WFP; USAID Office of Inspector General | NoOversight reviews have been completed; no sourced loss figure. | [1] [2] |
Amounts use each source's own wording. "Unaccounted" means records were missing or funds were not traced; it is not a finding of theft. Click a column heading to sort.
Public claims that aid groups or UN officials deliberately run scams to attract funding are not established by the records in this table. Where losses were proven, they came from specific schemes identified by investigators, such as payroll padding, inflated prices or bank collusion. The tracker will add findings as audits are published.
Timeline
- 2005 Finding Oil-for-Food: Iraqi kickbacks and oil surcharges (Oil-for-Food)
- 2005 Conviction Alexander Yakovlev, UN procurement officer (Secretariat procurement)
- 2006 Conviction Tongsun Park, unregistered agent of Iraq (Oil-for-Food)
- 2007 Charged Benon Sevan, former Oil-for-Food executive director (Oil-for-Food)
- 2007 Conviction Vladimir Kuznetsov, chair of UN budget committee (General Assembly bodies)
- 2007 Finding Sri Lankan peacekeepers in Haiti (Peacekeeping)
- 2008 Finding Procurement Task Force findings (Secretariat procurement)
- 2008 Not substantiated UNDP operations in North Korea ("cash for Kim" allegations) (UNDP)
- 2010 Allegation Somalia food aid diversion allegations (WFP)
- 2015 Finding Response to child abuse allegations in CAR (Peacekeeping)
- 2015 Charged John Ashe, former General Assembly president (General Assembly bodies)
- 2017 Conviction Ng Lap Seng, Macau developer (General Assembly bodies)
- 2018 Conviction Patrick Ho, CEFC NGO head (General Assembly bodies)
- 2018 Finding UNAIDS harassment and abuse of power review (UNAIDS)
- 2019 Finding UNRWA senior-management investigation (UNRWA)
- 2021 Finding Sexual abuse during the DRC Ebola response (WHO)
- 2022 Finding S3i impact-investment losses (UNOPS)
- 2023 Finding Food aid diversion in Ethiopia (WFP)
- 2023 Finding Board of Auditors: fraud and presumptive fraud, 2023 (System-wide (Board of Auditors))
- 2024 Finding UNRWA staff and the Oct. 7 attack (UNRWA)
- 2024 Allegation Iraq Funding Facility for Stabilization bribery allegations (UNDP)
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest UN corruption scandal?
By dollar amount, the Oil-for-Food program. The Independent Inquiry Committee led by Paul Volcker found about $1.55 billion in kickbacks on humanitarian contracts and about $229 million in oil surcharges paid to Iraq (IIC; CNN).
How much money is involved in UN corruption cases?
It depends on what is counted. In this tracker, UN reviews and auditors have found about $1.88 billion in illicit payments and losses, most of it from Oil-for-Food. Court convictions involve about $3.5 million in bribes and forfeitures. About $700 million in Congo Ebola response funds has not yet been traced, which Africa CDC has not described as theft. These figures measure different things and are not a single total.
Is $700 million in Ebola money missing?
Africa CDC says more than $700 million of about $962 million that donors reported disbursing for Congo’s 2026 Ebola response has not yet been traced to implementing partners, mainly because most partners did not report at a verification meeting. Its director general said it was too early to speak of embezzlement (Reuters).
Who investigates misconduct inside the UN?
The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is the UN Secretariat’s main investigative body. Funds and agencies such as WFP, UNDP and WHO have their own inspectors general or oversight offices. The UN Board of Auditors audits finances. UN staff have functional immunity, so criminal prosecution depends on national authorities.
Were UNRWA staff found to have taken part in the Oct. 7 attack?
OIOS said the evidence indicated that nine of 19 staff members it examined “may have been involved,” found insufficient evidence for nine and no evidence for one. The UN said OIOS could not independently authenticate most of the information Israel provided, and UNRWA terminated the nine staff members’ contracts (UN News).
Was John Ashe convicted?
No. The former General Assembly president was charged in 2015 and died in 2016 before trial (CNN). Ng Lap Seng, who was accused of bribing him, was convicted in 2017 (DOJ).
How we track
We add a case only when at least one primary or major-outlet source documents it. Status labels follow the strongest outcome on record:
- Conviction: a guilty plea or guilty verdict in court.
- Allegation: a credible published report or official complaint with no completed finding.
- Charged: an indictment or criminal complaint with no conviction. These are allegations.
- Finding: a conclusion by a UN oversight office, auditor or independent panel. These are not court rulings.
- Not substantiated: an investigation that did not support the main allegation.
“Warrants investigation” flag (missing funds table): we mark Yes only when an official auditor, oversight body or public authority has reported funds as unaccounted for, unrecovered or unresolved, or has referred the matter for investigation, and we have found no completed result; or when a credible investigative report documents specific losses with no completed probe. Not determined means fraud was confirmed and referred but we could not verify the recovery or prosecution outcome. No means the review is complete or no specific sourced loss exists. The flag is not an accusation. We do not call any person or organization corrupt, and we use “suspected” only when an official body uses that word.
Dollar figures: we record a dollar amount only when a source states it, and tag it as a loss or illicit payment, a bribe or forfeiture, untraced funds, or the value of a program or contracts under allegation or review. Program values are shown for scale only and are not losses. Sums cover only the cases on this page.
Amounts appear only when a source states them, and each is attributed. “Year” is when the court action or report became public. Counts and charts cover only the cases in this table, which is not a complete record of UN misconduct. We do not describe anyone’s motives or beliefs except in direct, sourced quotes. To suggest a case or a correction, use our contact page.
Additional details
Kuznetsov’s laundering conviction was tied to the Yakovlev bribery scheme, and both cases grew out of the federal Oil-for-Food investigation (DOJ). The DOJ listed Benon Sevan as living in Nicosia, Cyprus, when he was indicted (DOJ). Tongsun Park was first sentenced to five years. The UNDP North Korea panel reviewed $23.8 million in disbursements from 1999 to 2007 (panel report). The 2019 UNRWA findings were later described by the UN as management-related (UN).
Sources
- Independent Inquiry Committee (Volcker), Manipulation of the Oil-for-Food Programme by the Iraqi Regime, Oct. 27, 2005
- CNN, Oct. 27, 2005: Probe: $1.8B diverted to Hussein regime
- U.S. Attorney SDNY, Aug. 8, 2005: Former U.N. procurement officer pleads guilty
- U.S. Attorney SDNY, July 2006: Tongsun Park convicted
- U.S. Attorney SDNY, Feb. 2007: Tongsun Park sentenced
- U.S. Attorney SDNY, Jan. 16, 2007: U.S. indicts former executive director of Oil-for-Food program
- U.S. Attorney SDNY, March 2007: High-ranking U.N. official convicted of money laundering conspiracy
- U.S. Attorney SDNY, Oct. 2007: Former U.N. official sentenced
- Washington Post, Oct. 21, 2008: U.N. cites $20 million in fraud
- Heritage Foundation: The demise of the U.N. Procurement Task Force
- UN News, Nov. 2, 2007: Over 100 Sri Lankan blue helmets repatriated on disciplinary grounds
- UN News, June 2008: Panel on UNDP work in DPR Korea finds no evidence of consistent misuse of funds
- External Independent Investigative Review Panel, report on UNDP activities in the DPRK (2008)
- Independent review (Deschamps panel), Taking Action on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by Peacekeepers, Dec. 2015 (ReliefWeb)
- The Guardian, Dec. 17, 2015: UN accused of ‘gross failure’ over alleged sexual abuse
- FBI New York, Oct. 6, 2015: Former UN General Assembly president and five others charged in $1.3 million bribery scheme
- CNN, June 22, 2016: John Ashe, indicted former U.N. leader, dies at 61
- U.S. Attorney SDNY, May 11, 2018: Macau billionaire sentenced to 48 months for scheme to bribe UN ambassadors
- U.S. Attorney SDNY, March 25, 2019: Patrick Ho sentenced to 3 years
- UNAIDS Independent Expert Panel report on harassment, bullying and abuse of power (Dec. 2018)
- Reuters, Dec. 2018: UNAIDS chief stepping down early after scathing report
- UN News, Nov. 6, 2019: Palestine refugee agency chief resigns amidst mismanagement probe
- UN, March 3, 2021 noon briefing: status of 2019 UNRWA investigation report
- WHO, Final report of the Independent Commission on sexual abuse and exploitation during the 10th Ebola response in DRC (Sept. 2021)
- UN News, Sept. 2021: DR Congo abuse allegations ‘a sickening betrayal’
- UN Board of Auditors, opening statement on FY2022 reports (UNOPS S3i impairment)
- UNOPS: Resignation of Executive Director (May 2022)
- WFP statement on diversion of food aid in Ethiopia
- USAID Office of Inspector General: Emergency food assistance in Ethiopia evaluation
- UN News, Aug. 5, 2024: UN completes investigation on UNRWA staff
- UNRWA, Aug. 5, 2024: Investigation completed (Commissioner-General statement)
- Reuters (via Yahoo News), Oct. 16, 2026: Africa CDC says over $700 million in Ebola response funds unaccounted for in Congo
- Africanews, Oct. 15, 2026: Africa CDC probes missing millions meant for Ebola response
- AP, Oct. 2026: Questions raised about accounting of Ebola funding
- Audit Service Sierra Leone: Report on the audit of the management of the Ebola funds, May to October 2014
- NPR, April 2, 2015: If you know where the missing $6 million is, please tell Sierra Leone
- IRIN (ReliefWeb), March 30, 2015: Sierra Leone’s missing Ebola millions
- Reuters (ReliefWeb), April 9, 2015: Liberia watchdog says some Ebola funds unaccounted for
- IFRC statement on fraud in Ebola operations (ReliefWeb), Oct. 2017
- AP, Nov. 2017: Red Cross: $6 million for Ebola fight stolen through fraud
- Global Fund, Jan. 24, 2011: Statement on abuse of funds in some countries
- Global Fund Board paper GF/B23/11 (May 2011): table of misuse reported by the Inspector General
- UN Board of Auditors: UNOPS financial report and audited statements for 2024
- The New York Times, March 10, 2010: Somalia food aid bypasses needy, U.N. study says
- WFP External Auditor report on the Monitoring Group’s Somalia allegations (WFP/EB.A/2010/6-K/1/Add.1)
- The Guardian, Jan. 22, 2024: UN staff on Iraq aid project ‘demanding bribes’
- UNDP, Jan. 23, 2024: Statement on Iraq
- Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, June 28, 2024: Suspected irregularities under UNDP Funding Facility for Stabilization in Iraq
- UN Advisory Committee (ACABQ) report A/79/513 on the Board of Auditors’ 2023 reports: fraud and presumptive fraud table
- OIOS, Activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025 (tables 7 and 8)
Last updated Oct. 21, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET.