RETIRED ARCHBISHOP AND Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu has announced that he has quit his role as an ambassador for Oxfam after the British charity was hit by sexual misconduct allegations.
“The Archbishop is deeply disappointed by allegations of immorality and possible criminality involving humanitarian workers linked to the charity,” said a statement from his office in South Africa.
Last weekend, an investigation by The Times found that young sex workers were hired by senior staff in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake which devastated the island.
The deputy chief executive of the UK branch resigned on Monday over the charity’s handling of the scandal.
It was revealed in The Times’ report that groups of young prostitutes were invited to homes and guesthouses paid for by the charity for sex parties, according to one source who claimed to have seen footage of an orgy with sex workers wearing Oxfam t-shirts.
Also today, Oxfam Ireland emailed supporters to assure them that the incident “does not represent Oxfam or what we stand for”.
“The deplorable actions of a small number of people will not stop the vital work against poverty and injustice worldwide that you contribute to in supporting our campaign actions,” said Jim Clarken, the chief executive of Oxfam Ireland.
Oxfam Ireland has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct and will not stand for any kind of harassment of staff, partners, volunteers or those we serve.
He encouraged supporters to get in touch with any questions or concerns they may have.
- © AFP, 2018. Additional reporting Aoife Barry.
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