Foreign NGOs' plans in Jaffna said ineffective

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 October 2003, 04:15 GMT]
In the Jaffna peninsula, the rehabilitation and reconstruction assistance plans of several international NGOs and aid organizations have not made any discernible improvement in war-affected people’s lives, and some families receive only marginal assistance or no assistance at all, said the Consortium of local NGOs in Jaffna, in a letter to the Government Agent (GA) of Jaffna, sources said.

Once a plan is implemented, the people’s feedback and their opinion ought to be sought and given due review. The international NGOs should stop the practice of spawning multiple new organizations and instead use the local NGOs that are already operating among the people to implement their plans,” the consortium said in its letter.

“The NGOs should disclose the details of the finances and other resources they receive to the GA,” said the letter. “They should adopt a policy of sharing resources. Disclosure should also be made of the value and nature of their projects. An officer should be appointed to hear complaints from the people.”

The consortium urged the GA to ensure that the people benefit from the plans of international NGOs and aid organizations.