Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has been rocked by a sex-for-aid scandal after an internal investigation found that staff in Chad exploited Sudanese refugees, trading lifesaving essentials for sex. A leaked internal memo from July 2025, made public in June 2026, details at least 59 abuse claims, with investigators warning the true number is likely higher.
Abuse in refugee camps
The abuses occurred in eastern Chad along the Sudan border, in camps including the Adré transit and refugee camp. MSF's internal findings say exploitation took place inside the camps, in areas where staff could isolate victims. The report also describes abuse linked to MSF vehicles, with victims allegedly transported under false pretences and assaulted elsewhere. Victims were Sudanese refugees, mostly women and young girls fleeing violence in Darfur.
Staff sacked and investigations
MSF has sacked 18 staff, both local and international, banning them from future work. The alleged perpetrators include international aid workers, locally hired Chadian staff, short-term daily workers, and external contractors. According to the investigation, local and foreign staff used the chaos inside camps to prey on vulnerable women, demanding sex in exchange for food, water, milk, or employment. Several allegations involve underage girls pushed into sexual exploitation.
One case described in the memo involved seven refugee girls hired as daily workers who were loaded into an MSF vehicle under the pretext of collecting water but were driven elsewhere and sexually abused. Investigators warned the abuse may amount to organised sexual trafficking, with victims targeted repeatedly. Complaint boxes and feedback channels were described as largely ineffective.
Systemic failures
MSF admitted it skipped rigorous reference checks in the rush to deal with the refugee influx, potentially allowing predatory individuals to be hired. The internal review said the abuse happened mainly in late 2024, around a year after Sudan's war escalated. MSF has not released names or specific job titles, citing legal and privacy restrictions.
