Troubled anti-human trafficking NGO SISHA on Wednesday announced that it was shutting down its project to assist abused women and children in Cambodia due to a lack of funding, according to a press release.
Steve Morrish, founder and CEO of the organization, briefly stepped down last year following allegations of financial misconduct but took control again after an internal audit cleared him of wrongdoing.
But the fallout has taken its toll.
“Last year I was criticized heavily for moving…funds between different projects just so I could ensure that we had the capacity to assist all of the abused women and children who were coming to us for help,” he said in the statement. “I am not prepared to do that anymore and this is why we have had to discontinue the project.”
SISHA will continue its HOPE Scholarship program in Cambodia and criminal investigation training for anti-human trafficking police while it seeks funding to reintroduce other programs, the statement says.
The announcement comes a week after SISHA closed its operations in Thailand because its license was not renewed, according to its website.
