International humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières has fired 19 employees in the past year after investigating harassment or sex abuse.
The Paris-based aid group, known as Doctors Without Borders in the UK, said it had received 146 complaints or alerts last year and ended up sacking 19 staff members.
It said: ‘Forty cases were identified as cases of abuse or harassment following an internal investigation, of which 24 were cases of harassment or sexual abuse.’
The revelation comes as British charity Oxfam faces a storm over its handling of a sex scandal in Haiti.
The aid group revealed it had received 146 complaints or alerts last year and ended up sacking 19 staff members
The aid group Médecins Sans Frontières has fired 19 employees in the past year after investigating claims of harassment and sexual abuse
With 40,000 staff around the world, MSF is one of the world’s largest aid groups, best known for its work offering medical aid in conflict zones. The charity won the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize.
It added that other employees were handed disciplinary measures or were suspended.
The group also warned that the true figure could be higher as the 24 does not include cases reported to MSF teams on the ground that may not have been signalled to head office.
The charity added: ‘Even though reports of abuse have steadily increased, MSF is aware that abuse goes under-reported.’
The revelations from the French group came as Oxfam grapples with allegations that some of its staff used prostitutes in Haiti following a devastating 2010 earthquake.
Oxfam’s aid chief Roland van Hauwermeiren was recruited by the charity to lead a team in Chad, central Africa, where he was accused of cavorting with prostitutes in 2006.
But bosses turned a blind eye and he was in charge of the charity’s response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti in the Caribbean almost eight years ago.
According to an investigation the following year, he admitted inviting prostitutes to his £1,500-a-month hilltop villa – the Eagle’s Nest – rented for him by Oxfam.
The charity now faces a devastating backlash from sponsors, celebrities and donors after reports emerged of its aid workers using prostitutes.
The shocking revelation comes as British charity Oxfam faces a storm over its handling of a sex scandal
According to an investigation, Roland van Hauwermeiren (pictured) admitted inviting prostitutes to his £1,500-a-month hilltop villa while working in Haiti for Oxfam
Major companies have said they would review their relationship with the charity because of its failure to protect the vulnerable.
Visa and Marks & Spencer both spoke out against ‘abhorrent’ and ‘deeply concerning’ behaviour by Oxfam staff.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme has threatened to stop its children working in the charity’s shops following allegations of abuse across its store network.
And more than 1,200 people have cancelled their monthly donations to Oxfam after reports emerged of its aid workers using prostitutes.
The Charity Commission launched its formal inquiry into the sex scandal engulfing the charity on Wednesday.
The scandal also led to the resignation of Oxfam’s deputy head and has thrown into question British government funding for the charity, which amounted to around £32 million (36 million euros, $44 million) last year.
Oxfam has denied covering up the scandal but admitted it should have been more transparent.
Minnie Driver QUITS as Oxfam celebrity ambassador
Minnie Driver has quit her role as celebrity ambassador for Oxfam in protest at the charity’s sex scandal
Minnie Driver quit her role as an Oxfam global ambassador citing the ‘abhorrent mistakes’ in relation to the sex scandal.
The 48-year-old actress, who was one of the charity’s 16 ambassadors, said she was ‘in no uncertain terms’ withdrawing her support.
The British star has worked with Oxfam for 20 years, donating a £72,000 lunch date to its 2008 Ebay auction.
‘I am nothing short of horrified by the allegations against Oxfam International,’ the Good Will Hunting actress said in a statement.
‘In no uncertain terms do I plan to continue my support of this organization or its leaders.
‘And though it is unfortunate that after 20 years I am no longer able to advocate and defend through this specific framework, social and economic injustice is more globally prevalent than ever.’
She added that she won’t let the ‘abhorrent mistakes of a troubling organization’ stop her or anyone else from ‘working with good people in this space to support a population of human beings around the world that needs our help.’
In a statement to MailOnline, Oxfam said Ms Driver’s decision to step down ‘saddens us deeply.’
It said: ‘Minnie Driver has been a devoted Oxfam supporter for many years, and we are grateful for her commitment to ending global poverty.
‘Her decision to step down as an Oxfam Ambassador saddens us deeply, but we also understand and respect her choice.
‘As an organization, we are ashamed by the actions of some of our former members of staff and are more committed now than ever to learn from our mistakes and ensure we uphold the highest levels of safeguarding standards in our work around the world.’
Oxfam’s list of celebrity global ambassadors include Helen Mirren, Coldplay, Desmond Tutu and Bill Nighy.