MSF ran 'white saviour' TV ad despite staff warnings over racism

Decision to show then withdraw video sparked crisis at MSF Canada, says review

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) broadcast a $400,000 (307,000) TV fundraising campaign in Canada despite warnings from staff that it was exploitative, reinforced racist white saviour" stereotypes and breached the medical charity's ethical guidelines, the Guardian has learned.

A damning review of the decision to run and later withdraw the advert, which featured the REM track Everybody Hurts played over images of crying black children being treated by MSF medics, concluded it exposed a lack of trust in leadership and triggered an organisational crisis" at MSF Canada.