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Tuesday, February 13, 2018, 11:57
Deputy head of Oxfam quits as Haiti sex scandal escalates
By ​Reuters
Tuesday, February 13, 2018, 11:57 By ​Reuters

A handout picture released on Feb 12, 2018 by British charity Oxfam shows Penny Lawrence the deputy chief executive of Oxfam. CHARLOTTE BALL / OXFAM / AFP)

LONDON - The deputy head of Oxfam resigned on Monday over what she said was the British charity's failure to adequately respond to past allegations of sexual misconduct by some of its staff in Haiti and Chad.

One of the best-known international NGOs, with aid programmes running across the globe, Oxfam was under threat of losing its British government funding over sexual misconduct allegations first reported by the Times newspaper last week.

One of the best-known international NGOs, with aid programs running across the globe, Oxfam was under threat of losing its British govt funding

The scandal was fast escalating into a broader crisis for Britain's aid sector by bolstering critics in the ruling Conservative Party who have argued that the government should reduce spending on aid in favour of domestic priorities.

Aid minister Penny Mordaunt, who threatened on Sunday to withdraw government funding from Oxfam unless it gave the full facts about events in Haiti, summoned senior managers from the charity to a meeting on Monday.

"Oxfam made a full and unqualified apology – to me, and to the people of Britain and Haiti - for the appalling behaviour of some of their staff in Haiti in 2011, and for the wider failings of their organisation's response to it," Mordaunt said after meeting Oxfam's chief executive, Mark Goldring.

"I told Oxfam they must now demonstrate the moral leadership necessary to address this scandal, rebuild the trust of the British public, their staff and the people they aim to help, and deliver progress on these assurances," she added in a statement.

The statement did not address the question of funding. There was no immediate comment from Oxfam.

The Charity Commission said it had launched a statutory inquiry. The regulator said it had concerns Oxfam "may not have fully and frankly disclosed material details about the allegations at the time in 2011, its handling of the incidents since, and the impact that these have both had on public trust and confidence".

The Times newspaper reported on Friday that some staff who were in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there had paid for sex with prostitutes. Oxfam has neither confirmed nor denied that specific allegation but has said an internal investigation in 2011 had confirmed sexual misconduct had occurred.

Reuters could not independently verify the allegation.

Announcing her resignation on Monday, Deputy Chief Executive Penny Lawrence said Oxfam had become aware over the past few days that concerns were raised about the behaviour of staff in Chad as well as Haiti that the organisation failed to adequately act upon.

UN TARGET

The logo on the front of an Oxfam bookshop is photographed in Glasgow on Feb 10, 2018. The British Government announced late on February 9 it was reviewing all work with Oxfam amid revelations the charity's staff hired prostitutes in Haiti during a 2011 relief effort on the earthquake-hit island. (ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP)

Oxfam has said that as a result of its internal investigation in 2011, four people were dismissed, and three others - including the Haiti country director who had previously held the same role in Chad - had resigned.

 Reuters was unable to reach any of the Oxfam staff who worked in Haiti at the time.

 In its last financial year Oxfam received £32 million (US$44 million) from Britain's aid ministry, about 8 percent ofits overall income. Whether or not it loses that funding, private donations could be hit by the bad publicity.

Founded in 1942, Oxfam is one of Britain's best-known charities. Its 650 shops selling second hand clothes and booksto raise funds are a familiar sight on the high street.

   



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