The boss of Oxfam has issued a groveling apology over the Haiti scandal - as he revealed they have received 26 new reports of sexual exploitation in the wake of the crisis.

Chief executive Mark Goldring apologised for downplaying the charity's scandal by saying that it was 'not like we murdered babies in their cots'.

He said he made the ill-judged comment after six days of sleepless nights worrying and dealing with the scandal.

Mr Goldring, who is being investigated over his handling of a sexual assault complaint, apologised as he was hauled in front of MPs to be grilled in the scandal.

Mr Goldring, who earns nearly £150,000-a-year, told MPs: 'I do apologise. I was thinking under stress, I had given many interviews.... I should not have said those things. It is not for Oxfam to judge issues of proportionality.'

He added: 'I shouldn't have put my own sleep, or lack of it, in the public domain.'

It came as it was revealed that 7,000 people have pulled their donations to Oxfam in the wake of the scandal.

Meanwhile, Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt said Oxfam's former chief executive Barbara Stocking and deputy CEO Penny Lawrence 'quite possibly deliberately' misled the authorities over the Haiti scandal.

Mark Goldring (pictured in Parliament yesterday) issued a groveling apology for downplaying the charity's scandal by saying that it was 'not like we murdered babies in their cots'

Oxfam bosses Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International, Mark Goldring, CEO of Oxfam GB, and Caroline Thomson, chair of trustees for Oxfam GB were hauled to Parliament to explain themselves after the organisation was rocked by scandal

Oxfam bosses arrive at Parliament where they will be grilled by MPs over the sex scandal allegations - where they revealed the charity has been flooded with new complaints since the scandal broke earlier this month

He said he made the remark after six days of no sleep, adding: 'I make no excuses, I make an apology for comparing what I was going through with the bigger picture.

'My first concern is the women of Haiti and anybody else who has been wronged as a result of Oxfam's programme.'

And he said the aid organisation should have done more to protect the vulnerable people it worked with and ensure abusers could not work elsewhere in the sector.

In a dramatic session in front of the international development select committee it emerged that:

Last year Oxfam received 87 allegations of misconduct - 50 relating to things happening in shops and in Oxfam's trading operations. It said 35 reports were reported to the Charity Commission The scandal is spreading, with 26 allegations of sexual abuse reports to Oxfam since the news broke earlier this month Some 7,000 people have pulled their donations from Oxfam in the wake of the scandal One of the men caught up in the Haiti prostitute scandal was employed as a contractor by Oxfam again Tory MP Pauline Latham, who sits on the committee, said she first heard aid workers were abusing women two years ago Kevin Watkins, Save the Children chief executive of Save the Children UK, warned 'predatory men' were seeking to use aid work to abuse women

Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt said Oxfam's former chief executive Barbara Stocking and deputy CEO Penny Lawrence 'quite possibly deliberately' misled the authorities over the Haiti scandal

Mr Goldring also revealed the sheer scale of the abuse claims flooding into the charity - saying that Oxfam has received 26 complains since the scandal broke.

He said that people who have been abused or witnessed it had been too afraid to speak out, but were now coming forward with their allegations.

How did the Oxfam scandal erupt and what are the key developments? The Oxfam scandal has rocked the charity and the entire aid sector. Here are the key dates in how it erupted: February 9 The scandal breaks. The Times reveals that an internal Oxfam investigation found senior staff used prostitutes and held sex parties in Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, and the charity tried to cover it up. Roland van Hauwermeiren, a Belgian Oxfam chief, admitted using prostitutes. But rather than be sacked he was offered a deal - he would be allowed to resign and given one month's notice if he co-operated with the investigation. February 10 The men sacked for the Oxfam Haiti scandal were allowed to go on and get other jobs in the aid sector, it is revealed. Mr van Hauwermeiren - the man at the centre of the scandal - went on to become head of mission for Action Against Hunger in Bangladesh in 2012-14. February 12 It is revealed Oxfam knew of concerns about the conduct of two men caught up in the Haiti sex scandal before they were appointed to senior humanitarian roles. The charity's deputy chief executive, Penny Lawrence, resigns saying she is ashamed of how the charity handled the Haiti sex scandal. February 13 Whistleblower Helen Evans says Oxfam's chief executive, Mark Goldring, knew of allegations a woman was coerced into having sex in return for aid and failed to act. Ms Evans, the charity's global head of safeguarding from 2012-15, said there were allegations young volunteers were abused in Oxfam's UK shops. Minnie Driver quits as an ambassador to Oxfam. Charity Commission announced a statutory inquiry into Oxfam to examine whether the charity is fit to be trusted with public and government support. February 15 Archbishop Desmond Tutu quits as an Oxfam ambassador, saying that he was 'deeply disappointed' by the sex abuse scandal. February 16 Mr Goldring sparks outrage by saying the backlash to the scandal has been overblown and saying 'it is not like we murdered babies in their cots'. February 20: Charity bosses are grilled by MPs on the international development select committee over the scandal. Mr Goldring apologises for his 'murdered babies' comments. Advertisement

He said some of the allegations of abuse are historic while 16 occurred in countries where Oxfam ran aid operations.

Mr Goldring made the admission as he and other bosses are being grilled by MPs to explain themselves after the charity was rocked by scandal in recent weeks.

Earlier this month it that Oxfam charity had paid prostitutes for sex in Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake.

But men accused of exploiting their position and power to have sex with women were allowed to go off and get jobs in other aid organisations, it emerged.

And whisteblowers have said that the scandal extended to the charity's British shops where young volunteers have complained that they were sexually assaulted by staff members.

Stephen Twigg, a Labour MP and chairman of the international development select committee kicked off the grilling by challenging the Oxfam boss over his controversial comment

He said: 'In your interview with The Guardian you appeared to be downplaying the scandal by comparing it to the murder of babies in their cots, which many people thought were inappropriate.'

Mr Goldring took up the invite to apologise - and blamed the controversial comment on the stress he was under.

Caroline Thomson, who became chairwoman of Oxfam's trustees in October 2017, told the committee: 'On behalf of the council of Oxfam, we are ashamed of what happened in Haiti.

'We don't think it was well handled and our task now is to make sure we report always with transparency and accountability.

'My task is to make sure we never again can be at risk of being perceived to have put reputation over accountability.'

The committee of MPs also announced that they have decided to launch their own investigation into sexual misconduct in the aid sector.

They quizzed Oxfam bosses over their handling of the sex allegation claims.

During the lengthy exchange, Mr Goldring admitted that Oxfam failed to tell Britain's international aid department enough information about the scandal.

This means aid ministers who were handing over vast amounts of taxpayers' money to the charity were left in the dark about the abuse.

Meanwhile, Mr Goldring also revealed that last year Oxfam received 87 allegations of sexual misconduct.

He said 50 of those related to things happening in shops and in Oxfam's trading operations and 35 incidents were reported to the Charity Commission.

And he also admitted that one of the men involved in the scandal in Haiti went on to work as a contractor for another branch of Oxfam.

He said: 'I believe that one person was re-employed as a contractor indirectly by another Oxfam - not Oxfam GB.,

'That was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened.It was a short term contract. It was a failing.'

Oxfam has been plunged into crisis after it emerged that Roland Van Hauwermeiren (pictured) used prostitutes in Haiti while he was stationed in the country dealing with the aftermath of he devastating 2010 earthquake

He also revealed that 7,000 people have pulled their donations from the charity in the wake of the scandal.

What did we learn from Oxfam bosses appearing in front of the select committee? Here are some key things revealed in from the appearance of Oxfam bosses in front of the UK parliamentary select committee: The scandal is spreading: 26 allegations of misconduct have been made since the expose broke

Donations are being pulled: 7,000 people have pulled their donations from the charity in the wake of the scandal

One of the men caught up in the Haiti prostitute scandal was employed as a contractor by Oxfam again

Oxfam boss Mark Goldring issued a groveling apology for downplaying the charity's scandal by saying that it was 'not like we murdered babies in their cots'

The international development select committee will launch an inquiry into allegations of sex abuse in the aid sector

Last year Oxfam received 87 allegations of misconduct - 50 relating to things happening in shops and in Oxfam’s trading operations

Last year 35 incidents were reported to the Charity Commission

Kevin Watkins, chief executive of Save the Children UK, said some 'predatory men' infiltrate the aid sector so they can abuse. Advertisement

Pauline Latham, a Tory MP on the committee, said she had heard allegations of aid workers abusing women as early as two years ago at an international conference.

She said: 'Everybody knew this happened, everybody knew that the aid sector was pretty rotten, because it had got all these people who were abusing women and girls regularly in all countries.

'But nobody, not one organisation, was actually tackling it and doing a thing about it.

'That's shocking. You are all supposed to be good people trying to help the world, but it would appear you are not as good as you should be.'

And she said Britons are rightly shocked are the claims.

She said: 'No wonder the world is angry and no wonder that people are questioning whether any money should be going to charity.'

Meanwhile, Kevin Watkins, chief executive of Save the Children UK, told the same select committee that some 'predatory men' infiltrate the aid sector so they can abuse.

He said: 'What both reports highlighted is the role of powerful men as gatekeepers to food, shelter and security, and the fears and concerns of the people who they were there to serve, who felt threatened by them, unsafe and unprotected.

'What has come to light over the past few weeks cautions all of us against complacency.'

In an urgent statement to the House of Commons Ms Mordaunt tore into Oxfam's former bosses over their handling of the scandal.

Aid Secretary says Oxfam bosses 'misled' the authorities 'possibly deliberately' over Haiti scandal Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt today accused Oxfam's former bosses of misleading the authorities Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt today accused Oxfam's former bosses of misleading the authorities over the Haiti scandal to protect the charity. She said Oxfam's former chief executive Barbara Stocking and deputy CEO Penny Lawrence had 'failed' in their duty of care. She said the failure of the charities to alert the authorities to the allegations was a 'betrayal' of Oxfam's donors, workers and the British taxpayer. She said that charities working in desperate circumstances must have high standards of preventing abuse and reporting it when it is discovered. She told MPs: 'In this duty Oxfam failed under the watch of Barbara Stocking and Penny Lawrence. 'They did not provide a full report to the charity commission, they did not provide a full report to their donors, they did not provide any report to prosecuting authorities. 'In my view they misled quite possibly deliberately. 'Even as their report concluded that their investigation could not rule out the allegation that some of the women involved were actually children. 'They did not think it was necessary to report to the police either in Haiti or the countries or origins of those accountable. 'I believe their motivation appears to be the protection of their organisation.' She added: 'They put that before those they were there to help and protect – that is a complete betrayal of trust. 'A betrayal to of those who sent them there – the British people, and a betrayal of all those Oxfam staff who do put the people they serve first.' Advertisement

And she said the failure of the charities to alert the authorities to the allegations was a 'betrayal' of Oxfam's donors, workers and the British taxpayer.

She said that charities working in desperate circumstances must have high standards of preventing abuse and reporting it when it is discovered.

She told MPs: 'In this duty Oxfam failed under the watch of Barbara Stocking and Penny Lawrence.

'They did not provide a full report to the charity commission, they did not provide a full report to their donors, they did not provide any report to prosecuting authorities.

'In my view they misled quite possibly deliberately.

'Even as their report concluded that their investigation could not rule out the allegation that some of the women involved were actually children.

'They did not think it was necessary to report to the police either in Haiti or the countries or origins of those accountable.

'I believe their motivation appears to be the protection of their organisation.'

She added: 'They put that before those they were there to help and protect – that is a complete betrayal of trust.

'A betrayal to of those who sent them there – the British people, and a betrayal of all those Oxfam staff who do put the people they serve first.'

Ms Lawrence quit Oxfam after the Haiti scandal was exposed earlier this month.

Announcing her resignation, she said: 'As programme director at the time, I am ashamed that this happened on my watch and I take full responsibility.

'I am desperately sorry for the harm and distress that this has caused to Oxfam's supporters, the wider development sector and most of all the vulnerable people who trusted us.'

The grilling came after emerged last night that Mr Goldring is being investigated over his handling of a sexual assault case.

Oxfam has reportedly launched an internal inquiry into the sacking in 2010 of Lesley Agams - the charity's country director in Nigeria.

She was dismissed by a senior manager she had accused of sexually assaulting her three months beforehand, according to reports.

Oxfam staff had wanted an independent inquiry but Mr Goldring held a personal review, it was claimed.

Miss Agams, who was the charity's country director in Nigeria, was dismissed by a senior manager she had accused of sexually assaulting her three months beforehand, according to reports

He apologised to Miss Agams, 51, for what she had gone through but stood by the decision to sack her.

Who is Oxfam boss Mark Goldring and how much does the charity pay him? Oxfam GB chief executive Mark Goldring is facing questions about his time at the helm of the organisation after the Haiti prostutute scandal broke. He earned £127,753 a year for leading the charity last year and claimed expenses of £12,006. While he was also handed pension contributions of £12,818. He studied law at Keble College in Oxford before starting his career in the charity sector. He has worked for the UN and the UK's international development department as well as other charities before getting the top job at Oxfam. He heads up all of Oxfam GB's work around the world and manages a budget of £414.7m. As charity chief he lead 2,500 staff and 31,000 volunteers who are based around the world. Advertisement

The sacking of Miss Agams resurfaced after a complaint was lodged against Mr Goldring by Marc Wegerif, 49, who resigned as a senior policy official at Oxfam two months ago.

He told The Times that the charity had 'discredited Miss Agams without justification'.

He said: 'The decisions on how to respond to Lesley's case were made by senior leadership team without the involvement of the safeguarding team or the gender justice teams.

'I found it amazing Mark Goldring could acknowledge that she was sacked by the person she accused of assaulting her but then conclude that there was nothing wrong with that.'

The incident will form part of the Charity Commission's inquiry into Oxfam that was announced last week following revelations that it had covered up allegations of sexual misconduct by staff in Haiti in 2010.

Theresa May condemned the behaviour of Oxfam staff as 'horrific' earlier this week.

The Prime Minister said she was appalled that those who had used prostitutes engaged in physical intimidation of witnesses.

Meanwhile a watchdog had found that Britain's aid department risks making poorer nations dependent on handouts.

The sacking of Miss Agams resurfaced after a complaint was lodged against Mr Goldring by Marc Wegerif (pictured), 49, who resigned as a senior policy official at Oxfam two months ago

Officials prioritise 'short-term and immediate results' rather than helping third-world countries to 'finance and lead their own development'.

There was a failure to monitor value for money in a third of projects, the study into the aid budget of the Department for International Development found.

The report was compiled by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact which scrutinises the £13billion spent each year.

A spokesman for DfID said: 'This report rightly recognises that DfID is a global champion in achieving value for money and is leading the rest of the world in pushing vital reforms through the international aid system to help the poorest people and ensure UK aid cannot be better spent.'