MSF Report Finds Abuse and Sexual Exploitation by Staff in Chad

MSF Report Finds Abuse and Sexual Exploitation by Staff in Chad
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Doctors Without Borders has found a pattern of abuse and sexual exploitation by some staff working in Chad near the Sudanese border, according to a confidential internal memo obtained by The Associated Press.

The report, completed in July, documented 59 allegations ranging from sexual harassment to exploitation and abuse. It said 18 staff members, including international, local and contract workers, were dismissed or barred from future employment.

The investigation was launched after AP reported accusations that aid workers and security personnel had exploited vulnerable women in displacement sites in eastern Chad, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled Sudan’s civil war.

According to the memo, some female refugees were allegedly exploited in exchange for food, water, milk or jobs. The report also cited cases involving underage girls and said repeated patterns suggested possible organized sexual trafficking.

MSF said the findings represented a serious breach of its values and acknowledged failures in reporting, recruitment and protection systems. The organization said it has since strengthened reference checks, recruitment procedures and complaint mechanisms.

The report also warned that the documented cases likely represent only part of the problem, as many victims and community leaders were afraid to report abuse for fear of losing aid, work or access to healthcare.