"It's not as if we murdered babies in their cots" - Oxfam

[JaimesGoldenHand]

Apparently the Oxfam CEO thinks the reaction to the Aid Worker rape and use of prostitutes and the subsequent apparent cover-up has been disproportionate. It happens in all aid agencies so why the fuss.

I was in two minds as to whether to boycott Oxfam but this has decided me. I feel physically sick.

[TallulahWaitingInTheRain]

Classy, Oxfam

[stitchglitched]

I read yesterday that one of the 'prostitutes' was an underage girl who had just lost 5 members of her family in the eathquake and a 68 year old aid worker paid to have sex with her twice a week. I will never support them again.

[Popchyk]

God, just when I think they can't get any worse.

BBC link

[AngryAttackKittens]

Well you just raped them rather than killing them so that's alright then!

Never getting any money from me again.

[VaguelyAware]

WTF. They are now on my boycott list. And we are big users of & donators to charity shops.

[Bananagrabber]

Cancelling my direct debit and supporting MSF instead

[AllButterShortbread]

Jeez. My mind is boggled that anyone could think this let alone come and say it.

I follow the Daily Mash and News Thump on fb - they’re satirical news/spoof pages - and this is the kind of thing that makes me have to double check whether I’m reading actual news or a joke story

[Tiddlywinks63]

Despicable comment, he should be ashamed of himself and removed from his post.
I refused to support Oxfam after discovering how much money is diverted to wages and overheads. And after being doorstepped by a very rude 'representative' who wouldn't take 'No' as an answer.

[QueenLaBeefah]

Bloody hell! I don't think they can recover from that comment alone.

[FusionChefGeoff]

@Bananagrabber the linked article also says there are questions over MSF workers who were 'repatriated'...

[VaguelyAware]

They should have taken immediate action against perpetrators of abuse, as soon as any individual cases became known, that's what they should have bloody done. Instead they appear to have buried it & hoped that no-one would find out. Disgraceful that they think this is a reasonable way to respond, it pretty much shows why they perpetrators got away with it as long as they did.

[Tiddlywinks63]

//www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3193050/Oxfam-spends-25-funds-wages-running-costs-Charity-spent-103m-year-including-700-000-bonuses-senior-staff.html

...banker level salaries.... 😡

[AuntFidgetWonkhamStrongNajork]

Oh well that's ok then, because raping extremely vulnerable children is totally acceptable

[MissEliza]

Omg did he actually say that? I don't understand why Oxfam isn't getting a harder time over this. Never like Minnie Driver but I love her now for having principles.

[BuckysRoboticArm]

I was on the fence too, but now I'm firmly over. I will be donating elsewhere from now on.

[handyforpicnics]

It's hard to see how this organisation can continue in its present form.

[Theglobe]

Cancelling my direct debit and supporting MSF instead

From the BBC website;

“Another charity - Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - has now come under question as the president of Haiti called for an investigation into the activities of aid agencies working in his country.
Jovenel Moise, asked why the medical charity MSF had repatriated 17 of its staff members.”

I shall carry on giving to Oxfam as the good work they do shouldn’t be overshadowed by the actions of a few. Same with MSF.

I also think the Oxfam Chairman has a point. A lot of this is being driven by an anti aid agenda. Unfortunately the press won’t stop now until a lot of these charities are driven into the ground. Who benefits then?

[MissBartlettsconscience]

I thought the comment was aimed st the media frenzy rather than justifying the activities in that there are large sections of the media now who will not rest until Oxfam has disbanded.

While that may be the right response to their clear lack of oversight and total failure of safeguarding, it will also hamper aid efforts and discredit more of the people calling out the appalling levels of inequality in the world.

[Popchyk]

I don't have an anti-aid agenda.

I just happen to think sexually exploiting women and children in disaster areas by people who we are paying to help them is disgusting.

If there is an anti-aid agenda, then all charities can help themselves enormously on that front by not allowing their staff to sexually exploit women and children. And if it does happen, then to have procedures in place for bringing that worker to justice rather than put their efforts into covering it up and stating that it isn't as bad as murdering babies/genocide/whatever.

[toocool4cats]

I totally agree that we cannot judge a whole organisation by the actions of a few rapists. But how the hell can they continue after this? A complete restructuring and examination of their so called safeguarding policies are a minimum. God what a terrible business

[Ereshkigal]

I thought the comment was aimed st the media frenzy rather than justifying the activities in that there are large sections of the media now who will not rest until Oxfam has disbanded.

There is no context at all where that comment is in any way appropriate.

[Waddlelikeapenguin]

Wow. Well that's blown my risk/benefit balance questions out of the water