International Development written question – answered at on 2 May 2006.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Government of Eritrea about its decision to expel three international aid charities.
The British ambassador and DFID staff have raised this issue, in the wider context of the constraints placed on the humanitarian operations by the Government of Eritrea with the Minister for National Development, the Minister for Labour and Human Welfare, the Director General Europe (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Director of the Office of the President, during a DFID visit to Eritrea earlier this month. The Government of Eritrea said they were concerned about the amount of assistance that they have received, with little impact.
The British ambassador and DFID officials also met with the three international NGOs concerned.
I also spoke with the UN Secretary-General's Special Humanitarian Envoy for the horn of Africa, Mr. Kjell Bondevik, before he departed for Eritrea this week and also with the UN Emergency Relief Co-ordinator, Mr. Jan Egeland. I highlighted my concern about this issue and the lack of reliable information on the humanitarian situation in Eritrea, and encouraged Mr. Bondevik to raise these issues during his visit.
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No0 people think not
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