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The former Oxfam chief, who earned £130,000 annually, has come under fire for criticizing the UK government’s decision to arm Ukraine, which reportedly endangered charity staff in Gaza, according to an internal investigation.
Dr. Halima Begum was deemed unfit for her role as chief executive by Oxfam’s board of trustees over the weekend. The decision followed a complete loss of trust and confidence in her leadership abilities.
This decision was made after 70 employees urged an inquiry into her conduct, citing allegations of bullying and fostering a workplace environment filled with fear.
However, a heated dispute has surfaced within Oxfam regarding Dr. Begum’s departure, with supporters arguing that her dismissal was unwarranted.
Dr. Begum’s legal team announced last night that she plans to sue Oxfam, claiming the organization engaged in ‘defamatory and unfounded criticism,’ which she described as ‘hatemongering and stigmatisation.’
The investigation highlighted Dr. Begum’s public remarks accusing the UK of ‘taking sides’ in the conflict in Ukraine, which allegedly resulted in complaints and a reduction in donations.
During an appearance on BBC Radio 4 show Any Questions in November last year, she criticised the West for supplying Kyiv with long-range missiles and anti-personnel landmines, describing it as a ‘retrograde step’.
‘It definitely feels like a reincarnation of the Cold War – us taking sides as opposed to thinking what is necessary in order to build a just international security system that all nations could rely on,’ she said. ‘The stakes are so high not only for Ukrainian civilians dying but also Russian soldiers dying.’
Dr Halima Begum (pictured) has been forced out of her £130,000-a-year role at Oxfam
Dr Begum is pictured with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. She is at the centre of a scandal at Oxfam
Her remarks sparked a major backlash, with a surge in complaints and donor withdrawals, The Times reports.
The report also alleged that Dr Begum attempted to rewrite Oxfam’s politically neutral public messaging on the war in Gaza. Staff claimed she was not careful enough in considering the safety of staff in Gaza when she publicly called for the UK to stop arming Israel, for example.
Staff are said to have complained that her changes exposed them to potential retaliation in an environment which was already volatile amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The staff also revealed concerns about an event in July at Westminster, where Dr Begum took part in a panel where she discussed the Gaza war with Palestinian journalist Abubaker Abed, who is said to have called the October 7 attacks a ‘great day’.
Oxfam confirmed its board of trustees commissioned the review to examine ‘concerns raised about the leadership, conduct and approach’ of Dr Begum.
It was conducted by legal firm Howlett Brown between November and December this year and drew on testimony from 32 current and former staff as well as documentary evidence, the charity added.
The investigation found ‘serious issues’ with her leadership, as well as alleged ‘breaches of organisational processes and values’.
Oxfam has said Dr Begum, who had been in the role for two years, has already left the charity and the decision to discharge her was passed last week.
Jan Oldfield, Oxfam’s current chief supporter officer, will now take on the role of acting chief executive while a permanent replacement is found.
A spokesman for the charity added: ‘The Board has taken immediate steps to strengthen oversight and reinforce organisational processes, and work is already underway to address the recommendations in the report.’
But serious infighting has broken out at the charity, with Dr Begum’s allies accusing the charity of trying to ‘destroy’ its former chief executive.
Trustee Balwant Singh claimed he was excluded from the decision to axe Dr Begum, which he said was a ‘carefully orchestrated and intentionally brutal retaliation’.
He said that Oxfam ‘believes in and values kindness, justice and fairness… sadly, Halima’s treatment has been anything but kind, just or fair’. He also claimed she had filed a grievance claim against a board member before she was made aware of concerns about her leadership. The claims related to sexism, racism and bullying, Mr Singh said.
Dr Begum’s departure is the latest scandal to rock Oxfam following a difficult few years for the charity
Dr Begum’s lawyer told The Times: ‘It is entirely untrue and defamatory to say that Dr Begum was forced out of Oxfam due to her own conduct. Our client alleges that she was subjected to, and continues to be subjected to, a victimising witch-hunt.
‘She alleges that she was forced to resign due to an irretrievable breakdown in trust and confidence caused by the hostile, victimising and discriminatory conduct of Oxfam.
‘The truth of what actually happened will be revealed in due course.’
In response to Dr Begum’s claims, Oxfam said: ‘It is disappointing to know that a trustee who independently backed this unanimous decision is now deciding to publicly question a board resolution they were part of determining.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Oxfam and Dr Begum’s lawyers for comment.
Dr Begum, who was born in Bangladesh and raised in London’s East End, was previously identified as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK.
She spent most of her career working with the Foreign Office and went on extended overseas postings in country’s abroad.
Dr Begum’s departure is the latest scandal to rock Oxfam following a difficult few years for the charity.
Financial figures released earlier this month showed that its profits from shops had fallen by two thirds over the past three years.
Oxfam also announced it would be making 250 of its 2,100 UK staff redundant earlier this year to save £10.2million from its wage bill.
And back in November 2023, hundreds of the charity’s workers went on strike for 17 days in a row over pay.
Trade union Unite said Oxfam staff were angry that average wages had effectively been cut by 21 per cent in real terms since 2018.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said at the time: ‘Oxfam wants to end poverty and says it is on the side of unions.
The investigation found ‘serious issues’ with Dr Begum’s leadership, as well as alleged ‘breaches of organisational processes and values’
Oxfam has said Dr Begum, who had been in the role for two years, has already left the charity and the decision to discharge her was passed last week (file photo)
‘Yet its own workers report having to use foodbanks, it refuses to engage with the only union representing its workforce and it is considering using unpaid labour to break a strike.
‘This is rank hypocrisy from an organisation that should know better.’
‘Oxfam is an extremely wealthy organisation and can afford to put forward an acceptable offer without impacting its charity work in the slightest.
‘Its workers have their union’s total and unflinching support as they strike to make sure that happens.’
Meanwhile the same year, Oxfam came under fire for issuing a bizarre ‘inclusive’ language guide to staff.
The 92-page report warned against using ‘colonial’ phrases such as ‘headquarters’, and suggested the term ‘local’ could be offensive.
Workers were told ‘parent’ is often preferable to ‘mother’ or ‘father’ and terms such as ‘feminine hygiene’ should be dropped.
The guide even suggested that ‘youth’, ‘the elderly’ and ‘seniors’ should be avoided – to afford respect and dignity.
Responding to the criticism, Oxfam said in a statement: ‘This guide is not prescriptive but helps authors communicate in a way that is respectful to the diverse range of people with which we work.
‘We are proud of using inclusive language; we won’t succeed in tackling poverty by excluding marginalised groups.’
Oxfam has said Dr Begum, who had been in the role for two years, has already left the charity and the decision to discharge her was passed last week
The same year, the charity also faced backlash for a video which appeared to depict JK Rowling as an ‘evil’ transphobe.
And in July 2022, Oxfam settled a claim with a former volunteer who had been ‘hounded’ out of her job after defending the embattled author.
One person told The Times: ‘None of us joined the charity for its newly found political views, its LGBTQ+ stance or for financial gain.
‘We do it for the ‘respect’ of humanity as a whole. We work with a diverse workforce every single day and ‘mutual respect’ is all that’s required.
‘It felt like we were being deemed as stupid, that we need lessons on behaviour, when gender/sexuality/race/ability or religion shouldn’t even come into our work.’
They concluded that it felt as if the charity’s long-standing work on women’s rights was being eroded by the position and said people were afraid of speaking out about their opinions for fear of being reprimanded.
A spokesman for Oxfam said on Dr Begum’s departure: ‘Whilst it would be inappropriate to comment on any individual, Oxfam GB’s trustees have a duty to review any complaints raised. In line with our policies a review was carried out by an independent specialist consultancy with recognised expertise in workplace culture, equity, and inclusion.
‘We have great respect for colleagues who have raised concerns about culture. Their perspectives informed an independent review that took place. Oxfam’s commitment to openness and learning will strengthen our organisation and the work we do across the world.’
