Throughout the world today there are at least 50,000 NGOs in the Third World receiving over $10 billion in funding from international financial institutions, Euro-US-Japanese governmental agencies and local governments.
The managers of the biggest NGOs manage million dollar budgets with salaries and perks that are comparable to CEOs. They jet to international conferences, confer with top corporate and financial directors and make policy decisions that affect – in the great majority of cases adversely –millions of people … especially the poor, women and informal sector working people.
The International Organization for Migration-popularly known as IOM established in 1951 and currently operating in Somaliland, a self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous of Somalia has failed to deliver the assistance of a more than 120 Ethiopians stranded in Somaliland.
On Sept/2011 the government of Somaliland announced that all illegal immigrants, mostly Ethiopians, must return. Lack of means to travel to Ethiopia, and hence falling under the mandate of the IOM took over the operation of their safe return.
In anticipation of receiving support as promised by the IOM, the more than 120 illegal Ethiopians went to one of the currently functioning IOM offices in Hargeisa, the capital.
After sleeping outside in front the IOM office for more than 12 consecutive days and eating whatever they can find, as well as their freedom of movement became virtually impossible and have not received the humane treatment they fully deserve, Mr. Girayse an organiser of the deportation and one of the stranded speaking to a reporterof berberanews.com online webite, said “We’ve been stuck here (in front of IOM office) for past 12 days with no food and water”. He continued on by saying “We are following the orders of Somaliland government and IOM has promised to take us to Ethiopia, disappointingly, they have yet to do so and what’s more alarming is that some of the children became severely ill after eating biscuits given by IOM thus if not aided immediately, our children could face the risk of dying from starvation”.
Another man sitting calmly beside Mr. Girayse during the interview said, “Whatever he (Mr. Girayse) is saying is the absolute truth and will not add anything, however, I would like to convey to the Somaliland government and international organizations to take action of our appalling situation mainly caused by the empty promises of the IOM”.
The IOM which is said by a reliable source to have received around 50 million US dollars for this project declined a Berbera News reporter for an interview via telephone to get some answers from their side.
The Somaliland government is said to be enormously concerned about the safety and well being of the illegal Ethiopians awaiting to be deported as well as the actions of the IOM.
Mohamed Sa’ed Abdilahi (Xarrago)
Chief-in editor of Berberanews
Email, info@berberanews.com
