This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
On December 31, 2021, the Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO) board in Ethiopia lifted a five-month-long suspension of operations against the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
The suspension was imposed in July 2021, citing allegations of disseminating misinformation online and a number of administrative issues relating to the organisation’s work.
NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland welcomed the decision, stating that the organisation is ready to resume its humanitarian work in Ethiopia.
‘We look forward to resuming our many years of humanitarian operations for refugees in Ethiopia, and for people displaced by conflict and disasters. To restart our operations for people in great need, our competent and committed Ethiopian and international staff urgently require the same basic operational freedoms that we enjoy everywhere else in the world,’ he said.
At the time of suspension, NRC had reached more than 250,000 people in Ethiopia, and was aiming to reach double the amount by the end of 2021.
‘We are relieved that the suspension that temporarily discontinued our humanitarian work for hundreds of thousands of people in great need has been lifted,’ the organisation said.
Mr Egeland noted that the organisation will continue to work with local, national and international partners to provide aid and protection according to international humanitarian law and principles.
However, he also acknowledged that the suspension had caused significant disruptions, including the loss of staff and delays in reaching their target of serving more than half a million people in need across Ethiopia in 2021.
