“The children were crying. We ran out of food. He abused my situation.” AP news reports on humanitarian crisis in Chad. Over 20,000 people have been killed in Sudan’s civil war, leaving many to flee who are mostly women. Aid groups such as Doctors Without Borders struggle to aid these refugees, but others choose to abuse these women. Starvation is rampant in the displacement suites, leaving these women desperate to feed their children. Chad MSF’s, Doctors Without Borders known by its French acronym MSF, have been relentlessly exploiting these women in exchange for barely enough money to survive. The UN made a statement that abuses could be reported, however, some women who are being abused believe this will bring about more unwanted attention. Christopher Lockyear, MSF’s secretary general, said MSF is creating a pool of investigators at the global level to enhance its ability to pursue allegations.
Simply, this is a disgusting human right violation that needs to be immediately cracked down on by MSF. The NGO is their to serve as an aid. These women seek refuge, not endangerment. Allowing for such behavior within an NGO shows corruption within the system. If Chad wants to harbor Sudanese refugees, then it is in its best interest to do so without human rights violations. Sudan and Chad are very close, mostly due to shared ethnic ties. However, the civil war in Sudan is due to tension in ethnic groups along with limited supply of water. Already coming from a country with limited resources, it seems the perpetrators intentions may tie into the politics of the two countries…
Human rights has various definitions and parameters depending on the country. The United States for example tends to view human rights to be virtually non-existent in various countries. However, these regions may view basic fundamental rights differently. Yet, due to the nature of this NGO, human rights are viewed on the standards of the U.N. and the U.N. is displeased. On a regional level, the exploitation of these women shows utter corruption, one that needs to be cracked down on.