International aid charity Oxfam could soon be saying “bye, bye” to their government funding after a string of allegations concerning their aid workers in Haiti in 2011 paying for sex came to light.
The UK’s international development secretary, Penny Mordaunt, has issued a warning stating that Oxfam could lose their millions of public funds unless they change their ways and provide information on all those being accused of paying prostitutes for sex – some of them even underage.
Haiti isn’t the only case in which this abuse of vulnerable people’s situations and of the aid worker’s “position of power” has taken place. It has also recently come to light that there is a similar scandal developing in Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world.
Oxfam aid workers aren’t the only ones offending. It has come to light that workers from a range of different international aid charities have also been involved in similar scandals.
The charity’s chair of trustees has voiced the charity’s shame and concern over the overwhelming allegations of sexual misconduct made against their aid workers. The aid workers are sent to some of the most vulnerable countries in the world and are meant to be alleviating their suffering, not taking advantage.
Oxfam are conducting a thorough review of the allegations in hopes of showing their willingness to cooperate and retain their government bursary.
> Naomi Round
