Ethiopia bans dozens of relieve groups on “violating policy”
By Tesfa-alem Tekle
July 22, 2009 (AWASSA, Ethiopia) — Despite calls for extra food aid to the Horn of Africa’s nation by UN’s top humanitarian affairs official, southern Ethiopian authorities have suspended a relief operation conducted by 42 aid groups in the southern regional state saying they acted against state policies.
The 42 local and foreign Non-Governmental relief Organizations including the international humanitarian organization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) were suspended for alleged accusation of engaging on activities off their mandate.
“The civic societies have violated the nation’s constitution and policy of the regional government to which they agreed to be abided by,” Ethiopia’s southern regional justice office head Yilma Meressa said.
The NGOs were licensed in the southern region to take part in the sectors of promoting culture, development and protection of natural resources. But Ethiopian authorities accused them of acting rather off their mandate.
“One among other objectives they agreed to execute was to prevent the harmful traditions and beliefs of the peoples of the region but instead of acting to reduce these harmful traditions they were found ‘being aggravating means.”
According to Yilma some of the aid groups have been encouraging people to stick to their old traditional habits no matter how harmful these practices are.
He further said that the relieve groups have influenced farmers from using modern agricultural inputs.
“Their negative roles have influenced the people’s motivation and participation in the regions ongoing developmental activities.”
The official said any civic society no matter if local or foreign origin has no room to engage in such, destructive and non helpful activities that contradict the government’s policies, strategies.
“Their negative contribution outweighs their positive input.” “We are left with no option but revoke their licenses,” the official added.
Some of the civic societies that Sudan Tribune managed to speak with have denied the allegation and sought the Ethiopian government to reconsider the decision.
The Ethiopian government has long accused some NGOs of being tunnels of false allegations, supplying wrong information on human right conditions of the country to power nations like the US.
Mean while, The UN humanitarian affairs office on Tuesday warned that the number of Ethiopians receiving food aid which currently stands at 4.9 million could soon rise to 6.2 million due to poor rain conditions in some parts of the country over the past three years.
The UN statement added that the current food shortfall of 176,000 metric tonnes is also expected to rise to 390,000 tonnes.
(ST)