Oxfam Accused of Soliciting Prostitutes in Haiti

A recent report by the Times of London has sparked revelations that members of the humanitarian group Oxfam were engaging in prostitution in Haiti, while the organization was there to give aid during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Prostitution is illegal in Haiti. Reuters also reports that Oxfam hid information about the sexual misconduct from authorities at the time.

On Sunday, February 19, Oxfam responded by releasing an internal report from 2011, detailing its investigation into the “allegations of sexual misconduct and other unacceptable behavior” at the time. “We want to be as transparent as possible about the decisions we made during this particular investigation and in recognizing the breach of trust that has been caused,” the report states, adding that they are meeting with officials to apologize and to look at how they can rebuild trust and help the women affected.

According to the report, Roland van Hauwermeiren, the country director for the Great Britain branch of Oxfam, admitted to hiring prostitutes to in official residence in Haiti. Oxfam made no public disclosures of the misconduct at the time of the report, and van Hauwermeiren was allowed to resign in 2011.

The report also shows that six others were dismissed or resigned because of misconduct, including three who did so because of the “use of prostitutes.” Three members were also accused of physically threatening witnesses who testified against them in the investigation, but all names besides van Hauwermeiren’s were redacted.

Van Hauwermeiren’s involvement is particularly controversial because of past allegations. He has been accused of engaging in prostitution while working for a different charity in Liberia. He was in charge of an office where workers allegedly hired prostitutes in Chad. Despite his history, he later went on to work for another charity in Bangladesh.

Oxfam’s Deputy Chief Executive, Penny Lawrence, resigned Monday, February 12, according to the Washington Post. “I am ashamed that this happened on my watch and I take full responsibility,” she wrote in a statement. However, allegations of continued cover-ups by Oxfam’s officials, as well as reports that the sex workers may have been underage, continue to generate backlash from the community and the British government. The government is considering defunding the group, which received $44 million this past year (8 percent of the organization’s total income).

Oxfam was founded in 1942 as a group focusing on poverty and related social issues, and it has branches in several other countries, including Canada and the United States. Although the current reports concern officials at the Great Britain branch, the revelations have put a spotlight on not only the organization as a whole but also on similar aid groups. Haitian President Jovenel Moise has called this particular instance of misconduct just the tip of the iceberg, and he looks to launch a broader investigation into charities operating in the country.