Overview
- MSF disclosed in mid‑June 2026 that an internal investigation launched after 2024 reporting recorded 59 allegations of sexual exploitation and assault by staff in eastern Chad.
- The probe concluded 18 employees committed gross misconduct and were dismissed and barred from future MSF work, while other allegations could not be fully verified or linked to identified perpetrators.
- The internal memo obtained by the Associated Press describes patterns of staff exchanging food, jobs or access for sex, threats against Chadian female staff and incidents involving underage girls.
- MSF says its findings likely understate the problem because many victims feared retaliation or losing access to aid, and the organisation is tightening vetting, reporting and protection measures.
- The case raises wider sector questions about safeguarding and oversight in refugee camps that host more than 900,000 Sudanese people in Chad and could prompt calls for stronger external accountability and criminal investigations.