In brief
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has confirmed that its staff sexually exploited 59 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad. Victims were pressured after being offered food or jobs in exchange for sex, and some were minors. The organisation has removed 18 staff members, but internal investigations suggest ongoing patterns of trafficking. Many survivors were silent due to fear of losing aid, and official complaints mechanisms were largely ineffective. The scandal underscores growing concerns over abuse by humanitarian workers amid Sudan’s escalating conflict.
In a shocking admission, the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) charity has confirmed that its staff sexually abused 59 Sudanese refugees who fled the ongoing civil war and sought safety in eastern Chad. Documents released by the organisation in July revealed that victims had been coerced into sex in exchange for essential items such as food and employment opportunities.
Key details indicate that the abuses involved many young girls, and were carried out over the course of 2024, roughly a year into Sudan’s still‑fresh civil war. According to MSF, 18 staff members have been dismissed, but the charity acknowledges it was unable to identify all alleged perpetrators.
MSF’s internal report points to a pattern that could amount to "sexual trafficking" – a grave accusation. The report notes that survivors frequently stayed silent, fearing the withdrawal of aid, and when complaints were filed, they often received no response or support. This points to weaknesses in the organisation’s safeguarding systems.
The scandal comes against a backdrop of a severe humanitarian crisis that has displaced more than 11 million people and left over 28 million in acute hunger. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has been described as Sudan’s worst humanitarian repression, with estimated death tolls ranging from 150,000 to 400,000.
“This misconduct represents a serious breach of MSF’s values and responsibilities, and we deeply regret the harm caused,” a spokesperson for MSF said in a statement to the AP news agency.
The incident underlines ongoing accusations that humanitarian workers in multiple countries have engaged in sexual exploitation, despite global pledges to eliminate such abuses.
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