Talk of aid organizations’ duty of care toward their staff resurfaced when aid worker Steve Dennis sued former employer Norwegian Refugee Council for gross negligence — and eventually won.
Lawsuits against international aid organizations are nothing new. Take the case of former American aid worker Flavia Wagner, who was kidnapped in the Darfur region in 2010. She filed a case against her then employer, Samaritan’s Purse, for failing to provide adequate security.
The difference, however, is that Wagner settled out of court, a practice that Ike Evans, a seasoned international security consultant in the nonprofit sector, said is common in the aid industry and makes Dennis’ case more the exception than the rule.