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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Oxfam BG banned from Haiti after sex scandal

This news post is almost 6 years old
 

Oxfam employees were found to have used prostitutes while in Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake

Haiti has permanently banned Oxfam GB from operating in the country.

The Caribbean nation acted in the wake of a sex scandal which has rocked the aid sector.

Oxfam employees were found to have used prostitutes while in Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake that left more than 220,000 people dead.

The charity was temporarily banned from the country in February.

That ban has now been made permanent, although the decision applies only to Oxfam GB.

Oxfam will continue to operate in Haiti through its Italian, Spanish and Quebecois affiliate members.

Oxfam said it understood the decision. A spokesman said: "Oxfam is disappointed, but understands the Haiti government’s decision to withdraw Oxfam Great Britain’s permission to work in Haiti.

"The behaviour of some former Oxfam staff working in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake was completely unacceptable. We have apologised to the government and the Haitian people for what happened.

"We are committed to continue to do all we can to help the millions of people every year affected by humanitarian disasters and to improve the lives of those living in poverty."

Oxfam’s projects in the Caribbean country help 750,000 people through work on reconstruction and development projects.