SEXUAL misconduct by Oxfam staff is just the tip of the iceberg, the President of Haiti has warned.
Jovenel Moise has now called for a probe into other aid agencies working in the disaster-hit country such as Doctors Without Borders following revelations about Oxfam workers’ behaviour in the Caribbean country.
“The Oxfam case is the visible part of the iceberg,” said Mr Moise. “It is not only Oxfam – there are other NGOs (non-governmental organisations) in the same situation, but they hide the information internally.
“For example, Doctors Without Borders had to repatriate about 17 people for misconduct which was not explained.”
However, he offered no details about the allegation and last night Doctors Without Borders said they were in the dark about his claims.
A spokeswoman for the charity said it had long-standing grievance and abuse reporting procedures and took any reports of staff misconduct seriously.
She added: “We are seeking to clarify the questions raised by these remarks.”
There was no sight yesterday of an end to the Oxfam scandal, which is the toughest challenge the organisation has faced in its 75-year history.
Chief executive Mark Goldring attempted to salvage its reputation by saying critics had seized on the sex scandal as part of an anti-aid agenda.
He claimed critics were “gunning” for the UK-based charity. “The scale and the intensity of the attacks feel out of proportion to the level of culpability,” said Mr Goldring.
“I struggle to understand it. The intensity and ferocity of the attack makes you wonder, what did we do? We murdered babies in their cots?”
The charity boss added that “anything we say is being manipulated … even apologies only make matters worse.”
Meanwhile, there was some good news for the organisation.
Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said the music festival would continue to support Oxfam “for many more years to come”.
The charity stands accused of concealing the findings of an inquiry into claims staff used prostitutes while delivering aid in Haiti in 2011.
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