Oxfam aid workers

[JaimesGoldenHand]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/e9d1ee00-0d1d-11e8-9ed2-93cf9d74a2fe

Apologies for Times link. Hopefully someone who know about share tokens will be able to assist.

Essentially it seems that Oxfam fired a number of senior aid workers for sexual abuse of Haiti survivors. They then covered this up to save Oxfam's reputation.

I find both the abuse and the cover-up infinitely depressing. It feels as though daily we get more evidence of how low men (NAMALT to save anyone else saying it) are prepared to sink. Senior men working for a charity that aims to support the vulnerable turn out to be exploiting them instead. And Oxfam the great virtue-signalling charity just cover it up.

I'd like to say it's unbelievable but sadly it's not.

Have seen the Times article, have to agree both that it's sickening and that the cover-up was stupid in the extreme. These things do so often come out eventually.
However would just like to point out what else the article said - I.e. that 'the great majority of Oxfam's 230 staff in Haiti were working tirelessly in difficult conditions.'

My dd was in Haiti with Oxfam for an extended period, starting from a very few days after the earthquake, when they all had to sleep on the ground out of doors, because nowhere safe could yet be found indoors. She was warned before departure that it would be very harrowing, with the stench of death all around.

I know she would have been completely unaware of this dreadful behaviour, otherwise she'd certainly have told us. Among other things, she was involved with the organisation and provision of a daily hot meal for thousands of people who'd lost their homes and possessions.

I sincerely hope that most people will not assume that most aid workers are guilty of such disgusting behaviour.

Your DD sounds like an inspiring woman!!

Thanks Getting. I don't think anyone thinks all aid workers are all like that any more than all men are like that. But the fact that there are men, whom I think most people would have assumed were above suspicion given the important roles they hold, who can behave like that is beyond appalling. Those men have betrayed people like your daughter and let's not let NAMALT or NAAWALT get in the way of that discussion.

BBC now running the story

Oxfam denies cover-up over 'Haiti prostitutes'www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-43004360

I spent my younger years on a Caribbean Creole island and tbh aid workers and overseas priests were the worst for trying to accost you on the way home from school. Once you reached around age 13 you knew it was time to work out ways to dodge them. & they regularly used prostitutes too. My mum told me it was the same in her time. It's not a "wow" thing, we all knew the score. & our parents reiterated often strict instructions to aim not to be anywhere near foreign aid workers

Im quite surprised it's news here although I'm glad that it is. I wonder if somehow it's going to be explained away in "not all Aid workers" fashion, or being deemed lies/over-reacting eventually. Oxfam would deny it wouldn't they but their reputation stinks in several countries re certain activities. It isn't just them tho. Sad situation all round.

Amazed this is only thread I could find on this. Its barbaric.

There are a few threads on this, just search Oxfam. Here's the main one www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3165845-To-be-absolutely-disgusted-about-the-OXFAM-revelations

Julie Bindel made a good point about Amnesty on Twitter. twitter.com/bindelj/status/963456560339894272

If they think that pimping & paying for sex should be legal, then presumably their workers could behave like the Oxfam workers did & it would be absolutely fine with them as long as money was involved.

I am disgusted with aid workers who engage in abuse of any kind of people they are supposed to be helping.