Foreign aid target ‘limits scrutiny of abuse by charities’

BRITAIN’S foreign aid target is hampering the Government’s ability to stop sexual abuse and harassment by charities, senior Tory MPS have warned.

The Government is committed to spending 0.7 per cent of the nation’s income on overseas aid every year, but there are concerns that the target means money is “thrown out the door”.

In the wake of revelations about Oxfam in Haiti, nearly 200 aid organisations are today disclosing details of allegations of abuse in their organisations and what measures they are taking to protect children and the vulnerable.

Pauline Latham, a Tory MP and member of the international development select committee, said: “Because we have to spend it all in-year, it could hinder our ability to deal with the problem. If we have to get the money out the door by the end of the financial year we’re not going to scrutinise it as carefully as we could. We need flexibility to roll it over to next year.”

The claims include 20 incidents of sexual harassment and two involving safeguarding at Action Aid, while Water Aid said it had dismissed four staff members for sexually harassing colleagues.

Christian Aid said it had investigated two cases of sexual misconduct overseas in the past 12 months, while Cafod said it had uncovered two incidents of sexual misconduct since 2010.

The British Red Cross has revealed that 21 of its staff have left due to sexual misconduct for paying for “sexual services” and a further three Uk-based staff are being investigated.

The Daily Telegraph also disclosed that Save the Children, which received £138million from the Department for International Development last year, failed to notify it of three complaints of behaviour towards female staff by Justin Forsyth, its former chief executive.