Aid Group Pulls Out of Eastern Ethiopia, Charging Government Harassment
VOA - July 10, 2008

The Swiss section of the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is halting humanitarian operations in a conflict-wracked region of eastern Ethiopia, charging government harassment and intimidation.

The Swiss section of Doctors Without Borders says it decided to withdraw from Ethiopia's Fiiq region in the face of repeated administrative hurdles and intimidations, including the detention of humanitarian staff. Fiiq is in the eastern Somali region, where Ethiopian troops are waging a fierce counterinsurgency campaign against rebels of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).

A statement sent to reporters Thursday says medical teams dispatched to the region in December of last year were prevented from providing urgently needed care to vulnerable populations. Read More.