IRIN: Shutdowns, suspensions, and legal threats put relief in world’s troublespots at risk
“Tougher donor restrictions on relief operations in areas controlled by extremist groups are ‘out of control,’ impeding life-saving work, and could lead aid groups to pull out of the most challenging responses, senior humanitarian officials and rights experts warn. Project suspensions and closures in Syria, two recent prosecutions in U.S. courts, and a new USAID ruling have combined to make NGOs alarmed at the shrinking space for humanitarian action and unforgiving climate for aid in ‘terrorist’ zones…” (Parker, 9/26).