‘Stop EU funding of Nepal’s government’

By David Cronin

Date: 02/02/06

EU-funded aid projects in Nepal are being curtailed by King Gyanendra, according to the head of the country's largest alliance of charities.

Since assuming executive powers in a coup last year, Gyanendra has required all donors to seek approval from his administration before supporting activities undertaken by non-governmental organisations (NGO).

Arjun Karki, president of the NGO Federation of Nepal, said that human rights activists and aid workers had encountered much police harassment over the past year. The effect of the crackdown, he predicted, would be loss of life because vital supplies could not be delivered to the needy.

Karki, who was one of 19 individuals subjected to a six-month travel ban imposed when Gyandera took control, was in Brussels this week for events marking the first anniversary of the royal coup (1 February).

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European commissioner for external relations, recently said that all ongoing EU-funded projects in Nepal were being continued "in order not to adversely affect the poorest segments" of the country's 23 million inhabitants. Because of the political situation, however, no "appraisal or identification missions" have been launched to prepare new projects for 2006, while work on devising an EU-supported country strategy paper for 2007-13 has also been put on hold. Some EUR 66 million was earmarked for development assistance and promoting a resolution of the conflict between the government and Maoist insurgents under the strategy paper for 2002-06.

Karki said that the Commission would be correct to freeze any aid that goes directly through the country's treasury but urged it to keep supporting international agencies active in Nepal. "If we stop development assistance, this will cause a humanitarian crisis," he added. According to the UN, 24% of Nepal's population live on less than a dollar per day.

Nepal's Ambassador to the EU Narayan Thapa said the new controls on charities were designed to ensure greater transparency and accountability, especially as they operated in areas where Maoist rebels had a strong foothold.

But Karki disputed this assertion. "We are not against transparency and accountability," he said. "We are against the government's encroachment on the independence of NGOs."

• Also see Viewpoint Nepal's slide towards chaos and anarchy

Comments by Arjun Karki, President of the NGO Federation of Nepal. Karki said that human rights activists and aid workers had encountered much police harassment since King Gyanedra had assumed executive powers in a coup on 1 February 2005.

EEAS: Countries: Nepal http://eeas.europa.eu/nepal/index_en.htm

---