Doctors Without Borders investigation finds exploitation by staff in Chad

The international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has published an internal report detailing serious misconduct by its staff against refugees in Chad. The report was completed last July but became public after being reported by the Associated Press news agency on Saturday.

The organization acknowledged 59 allegations of misconduct, ranging from sexual harassment to exploitation and abuse, noting that the actual number is likely higher as many survivors feared speaking out. As a result, 18 local and international staff members were dismissed and barred from future employment with MSF.

The internal investigation followed an AP investigation published in November 2024, which revealed that Sudanese women seeking refuge in Chad were offered jobs and assistance in exchange for sex by aid workers and local security forces.

Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have fled into eastern Chad amid a devastating civil war now in its fourth year. MSF is one of the largest organizations responding to the crisis in refugee camps. The report noted that additional resources were allocated to prevent abuse, including staff training, but these measures did not have a lasting impact.

In one case, seven refugee girls hired as daily workers were placed in an MSF vehicle and told they were going to water distribution and construction sites, but were instead taken elsewhere and exposed to sexual abuse and requests for sex. Some survivors chose to remain silent for fear of jeopardizing access to aid, and those who spoke up sometimes did not receive help afterwards.

MSF stated it is improving its abuse prevention and detection methods, including through confidential reporting channels. Similar allegations had been raised in the past, including during the 2021 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.