Doctors Without Borders fires 18 employees after sexual exploitation and abuse allegations in Chad

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Monday it was dismissing 18 employees after “serious allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse.”

In total, there are 59 allegations of abuse involving Sudanese female refugees in neighboring Chad, according to an internal report seen by the AP. The report says that in some cases underage girls were offered food in exchange for sexual acts.

MSF is one of the largest aid organizations and employers in eastern Chad, and the information that has emerged indicates that the alleged abuses have been more extensive than previously reported.

The ongoing war between government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced millions of Sudanese, many of whom have fled to Chad.