MSF dismisses 18 staff members over sexual exploitation allegations involving Sudanese refugees in Chad

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the international medical charity known in English as Doctors Without Borders, has dismissed 18 members of staff following internal investigations into allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse involving Sudanese refugees hosted in eastern Chad. The organisation said the dismissed workers were found to have committed “serious misconduct” during probes launched in response to complaints raised by refugees late last year.

The allegations, which surfaced in late 2024, relate to behaviour directed at Sudanese refugees sheltering in eastern Chad, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled since the outbreak of conflict in neighbouring Sudan. Eastern Chad has become one of the most significant host areas for those displaced by the fighting, placing heavy demand on humanitarian agencies operating in the region.

Investigations and dismissals

MSF confirmed it had conducted a series of parallel investigations into the accusations, which the charity described as “serious allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse.” Following the conclusion of those inquiries, the organisation moved to terminate 18 staff members whose involvement was substantiated. The charity has not publicly detailed the exact nature of each case but has stressed that the dismissals reflect its stated zero-tolerance policy towards sexual misconduct by its personnel.

The case has drawn attention to the broader challenge of safeguarding vulnerable populations in humanitarian settings, where aid workers and refugees often interact in conditions of significant power imbalance. International aid organisations have faced repeated scrutiny in recent years over their ability to detect, investigate and act upon allegations of abuse committed by their own staff.

Context of the Sudan refugee crisis

Eastern Chad has absorbed a large share of the refugees fleeing the war in Sudan, which erupted between the country’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Cross-border movements into Chad have strained local resources and created an operating environment in which multiple UN agencies, international NGOs and medical charities maintain a sustained presence to provide healthcare, shelter and food assistance.

The scale of the displacement has heightened concerns about the protection of refugees, particularly women and children, who are often described by humanitarian workers as being at heightened risk of exploitation in emergency settings. Aid agencies have in recent years introduced more robust reporting mechanisms, including confidential hotlines and independent complaint channels, in an effort to identify and address misconduct more effectively.

Calls for accountability and transparency

The dismissals come amid wider debates over how aid organisations handle allegations of abuse and how much they disclose to the affected communities and the wider public. Speaking to FRANCE 24, Charles Bouessel, Senior Analyst for Central Africa at the International Crisis Group, addressed the broader implications of the case for humanitarian operations in the Chad-Sudan borderlands.

MSF has indicated that it is cooperating with relevant authorities and continuing to review its safeguarding procedures in light of the findings. The organisation has previously acknowledged that addressing sexual exploitation and abuse within the humanitarian sector requires sustained institutional commitment, robust investigative capacity and transparent communication with the populations it serves.

The episode is likely to intensify scrutiny of humanitarian operations in eastern Chad at a time when the needs of Sudanese refugees remain acute, and when the credibility of aid providers depends heavily on their willingness to act decisively against misconduct by their own personnel.

Source: FRANCE 24 — read the original report.