Band Aid Trust to complain over 'funding arms procurement' claim
The Band Aid Trust will complain to the British broadcasting watchdog Ofcom about a BBC report that alleged millions of pounds raised for famine relief in Ethiopia was spent on weapons, one of its trustees said today.
It follows a broadcast on the BBC World Service which reported claims that 95% of the $100m (€73.41m) in aid which went to the province of Tigray in 1985 was used by rebel forces to buy weapons.
John Kennedy, a founding member of the Band Aid Trust, said: “The trust is writing to the BBC and Ofcom to complain about the broadcast.”
A Christian Aid spokeswoman confirmed they were planning to support the complaint to the BBC Trust.
Paul Brannen, head of advocacy and influence at the charity, said: “This story is a good example of how a lie can be halfway around the world before the truth has put its boots on.
“In this age of rapid and international communication it is more important than ever that the BBC independently verify all its facts before transmitting a story as potentially damaging as this one.”
A spokeswoman for Oxfam said it would decide next week whether to lend its support to the planned letter to the BBC Trust.
Phil Bloomer, its campaigns and policy director, said: “The British public who in good faith donated money to help distressed, starving people need to know that these allegations are preposterous.
“Aid distribution during this conflict held risks but it is indisputable that aid and the efforts of the humanitarian agencies saved many thousands of lives in Ethiopia.”
A Unicef spokesman said they had also been involved in discussions about a possible complaint.
He said: “The BBC story about the 1985 relief aid was in our view misleading and unsubstantiated.”
The BBC report featured interviews with two former members of a rebel group in the northern Ethiopian province who made the allegations.
