{UAH} UK says Oxfam will not bid for new government funding

Frank Mujabi/ Akim Odong

Here is the UK government reaction to the Oxfam sex scandal. It is stopping its funding almost immediately pending reforms. This is too drastic in my view. It is an over-reaction. The UK is the biggest contributor to Oxfam's budget and this is likely to hit it very hard. The Oxfam crisis is triggering a lot of soul searching inside the aid industry- and the opponents of aid now have the wind blowing close to their sail. I still see a very huge role for international aid- and for international development generally- more so because most governments in Africa are too corrupt and chronically unable to deliver on aid programmes. Charity or aid developed for this very reason- the inability of the State authorities to fulfill their obligations, either because they are unable to, or most usually,  because they are unwilling to do so.

Bobby

UK says Oxfam will not bid for new government funding

By REUTERS

last updated: 16/02/2018

Now Reading:

UK says Oxfam will not bid for new government funding

 

LONDON (Reuters) – Oxfam has agreed not to bid for any new funding from Britain's government until London is satisfied the charity meets sufficient ethical standards, development minister Penny Mordaunt said on Friday.

The Times newspaper reported last week that some Oxfam staff had paid for sex with prostitutes in Haiti after the country's 2010 earthquake.

Oxfam, one of the world's biggest disaster relief charities, said an internal investigation in 2011 confirmed sexual misconduct occurred, and has apologised.

Earlier on Friday Oxfam said it would create an independent commission to review the charity's practices and culture.

"Oxfam has agreed to withdraw from bidding for any new UK Government funding until (the Department for International Development) is satisfied that they can meet the high standards we expect of our partners," Mordaunt said in a statement on Friday.

An Oxfam spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the minister's statement.

Other charities which receive funding from Mordaunt's department have until Feb. 26 to provide assurances that they effectively safeguarded people they helped, and reported any breaches to the government.

"At that stage we will make further decisions about continuing or amending how those programmes are delivered. Our primary guiding principle in this will be the welfare of the beneficiaries of UK aid," she said.

(Reporting by David Milliken and Andy Bruce; editing by Andrew Roche)

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