An internal investigation by the international aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has found a pattern of sexual exploitation and abuse by local and foreign staff working with Sudanese refugees in Chad, including cases involving underage girls and the exchange of aid, food, and jobs for sex.
The report, completed in July and first reported by The Associated Press on Saturday, documented 59 allegations of misconduct and led to the dismissal and blacklisting of 18 staff members and contractors.
MSF said the findings represented a serious breach of its values and acknowledged that the true scale of abuse was likely greater because many survivors were reluctant to come forward.
The investigation was launched in 2024 following AP reporting that women in refugee camps along Chad’s border with Sudan had accused aid workers and local security personnel of exploiting vulnerable refugees.
According to the report, the allegations ranged from sexual harassment to exploitation and abuse involving Sudanese refugees, Chadian nationals, MSF staff and contractors.
Investigators found cases in which female refugees were allegedly exploited in exchange for food, water, milk, and employment opportunities.
The report also identified instances of prostitution involving female refugees, including underage girls.
In one case, seven refugee girls hired as daily workers were placed in an MSF vehicle and told they were being transported to water distribution and construction sites.
Instead, they were taken elsewhere and “exposed to” sexual abuse and requests for sex, according to the investigation.
The report further found that some female Chadian staff faced threats of job loss if they refused sexual demands from supervisors or colleagues.
MSF said some repeated patterns of exploitation suggested possible organized sexual trafficking.
The organization described the findings as “a candid internal analysis” of failures within its safeguarding systems.
Investigators found that many survivors, staff members and community leaders avoided reporting abuse out of fear of losing access to aid, employment, or medical care.
Some complaints reportedly received no follow-up, while existing reporting mechanisms were found to be ineffective.
MSF also said high staff turnover, urgent hiring needs, and inadequate reference checks contributed to vulnerabilities within its operations.
The organization has since strengthened recruitment procedures, reporting channels and abuse prevention measures, but acknowledged that significant work remains to ensure lasting change.
The report noted that similar allegations had surfaced during previous humanitarian crises, including the 2021 Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.