LONDON: Britain warned on Wednesday it would cut off ties with foreign aid charities that cover up sex scandals after revelations involving Oxfam, which has seen a spate in cancellations of donations.

“Unless you report every serious incident or allegation, no matter how damaging to your reputation — we cannot be partners,” Britain’s International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt told a conference in Stockholm, according to extracts of her speech released by her ministry.

“The same message goes out to any organisation or partner which receives UK aid. We want procedures to change. We want leaders to lead with moral authority and we want staff to be held accountable,” she said.

Mordaunt called allegations about the use of prostitutes by some Oxfam staff in Haiti in 2011 “horrifying”. Oxfam has denied covering up the scandal but admitted it should have been more transparent.

“Sexual abuse and exploitation is an issue the entire development sector needs to confront,” Mordaunt said, calling for a culture that “ensures victims and whistleblowers can come forward without fear”.

When abuse is carried out “by people in positions of power, people we entrust to help and protect, it rightly sickens and disgusts and compels us to take action,” she said.

The scandal has led to the resignation of Oxfam’s deputy head and has thrown into question government funding for the charity, which amounted to around 32 million pounds ($44 million) last year.

Actress ‘devastated’ by response

British actress Minnie Driver quit her role as an Oxfam ambassador late Tuesday, saying she was “devastated” by the charity’s response to the scandal.

Several sponsors and partners of Oxfam including retail chain Marks & Spencer and Visa have also said they are examining the situation.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2018