Gov’t Urged to Prevent Unwelcomed Activities by Strictly Controlling Humanitarian Organizations

Addis Ababa, The Government of Ethiopia has to strictly control humanitarian organizations to stop the organizations from operating beyond the scope of the permissions they are granted by the pertinent offices in the country, a law scholar said.
Humanitarian organizations are established solely to provide aid for needy people without being partial and humanely.
Despite their contributions to alleviate the burdens of vulnerable communities, there are evidences that indicate the involvement of some international humanitarian organizations for various interests in the internal affairs of countries where they are allowed to enter in the name of humanitarian operation, the academician noted.
Kotebe Metropolitan University law lecturer, Dr. Almaw Kifle told ENA that these humanitarian organizations should abide by the laws and regulations of the sovereign states where they are allowed to operate.
All countries across the world have their own laws and regulations that aim at handling the operations of humanitarian organizations.
Humanitarian organizations are expected to carry out their responsibilities by refraining themselves from meddling in the affairs of states, and activities that affects the people and countries where they are given accreditation to give humanitarian support, he added.
Noting that the Government of Ethiopia has given access to international humanitarian organizations to operate in Tigray, he pointed out that there are evidences which indicate unwelcomed activities by some staff of humanitarian organizations in the region.
According to the scholar, these humanitarian organizations have been working with forces that are designated unlawful for their terrorist activities by the government and people of Ethiopia.
Citing the fact that some members of the terrorist designated group were seen in the compounds of humanitarian organizations in Tigray region as widely disseminated by the social media, Dr. Almaw urged the Government of Ethiopia to be cautious in this regard.
“During its armed struggle to remove the military rule, the TPLF had been supported by humanitarian organizations to smuggle weapons,” the scholar recalled, adding that “the government should draw lesson from this and act accordingly to prevent similar attempts by controlling unwelcome activities of these NGOs.”

Source: Ethiopian News Agency