MSF Terminates 18 Staff Over Sexual Exploitation Of Sudanese Refugees In Eastern Chad

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced on Monday that it terminated 18 staff members after investigations into allegations of exploitation and sexual assault targeting Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad.

MSF said the investigations were opened after complaints received in late 2024 concerning "serious allegations of exploitation and sexual assault" inside the refugee camps where the organization operates.

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The organization said a review spanning several months examined 59 allegations of misconduct, including sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuses, and that investigations found some allegations to be true while others could not be verified due to the inability to identify the victims or the perpetrators.

MSF added that immediate disciplinary actions were taken against those involved in cases where violations were established, resulting in the dismissal of 18 people and a ban from future work with MSF.

MSF said it expressed "deep regret" for the harm caused to the victims and refused to disclose additional details relating to individual cases or their outcomes to protect privacy and safety.

MSF said it would not disclose additional details about individual cases or outcomes, stressing that this is to protect the privacy and safety of those harmed and in line with an approach that places survivors at the center.

In a statement carried by MSF Southern Africa, Secretary General of MSF International Laura Leyser said, "This misconduct represents a serious breach of MSF’s values and responsibilities," and added, "We recognise the pain, harm, and suffering experienced by the survivors and we deeply regret that this has happened in our programmes."

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MSF said it offered support to identified survivors based on their needs and wishes, including referral to psychological or medical care, as well as legal or other support where appropriate.

MSF Southern Africa said MSF took corrective actions in eastern Chad after the investigations, including strengthening recruitment and reference checks for locally hired staff and daily workers and reinforcing detection efforts in projects.

The organization urged staff, patients, and members of local communities to report any abuses through channels it described as safe and trustworthy, while also saying it is working to strengthen prevention, monitoring, and response mechanisms.

MSF’s decision came as Chad hosts about one million Sudanese refugees who fled the ongoing war in Sudan since April 2023, according to United Nations estimates cited in the reporting.

The الجزيرة نت report said MSF told AFP it launched investigations over months into serious allegations of exploitation, sexual abuse, and violations reported by Sudanese refugee women in eastern Chad in late 2024.

The الجزيرة نت report also said the civil war in Sudan began in mid-April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, and that it has killed tens of thousands, displaced more than 12 million, and driven about a million to flee westward to Chad.

In the same الجزيرة نت account, MSF’s dismissal decision was described as coming at a time when Sudan's National Commission for Investigating Crimes and Violations of national and international humanitarian law announced more than 30,000 killings, more than 2,000 rapes, and about 15,000 cases of detention and enforced disappearance since the war began.

MSF Southern Africa said it has collected and publicly published data on behavioural complaints since 2018, covering forms of abuse and inappropriate behaviour including sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, and that it does not usually provide detailed breakdowns by country to protect confidentiality and safety.