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Report

29 Mar 2016

Author:
Oakland Institute

Full report

"Moral Bankruptcy: World Bank Reinvents Tainted Aid Program for Ethiopia"

On September 15, 2015, the World Bank announced US$600 million of financing for a new initiative in Ethiopia, Enhancing Shared Prosperity through Equitable Services(ESPES).Its purported aim, like its predecessor, the Promoting Basic Services (PBS) program, is expanding access to basic services such as water, education, and healthcare. The PBS has been associated with human rights abuses and the forced relocation of indigenous communities while paving the way for land grabs. Yet, rather than addressing the concerns raised about the program, the Bank has just launched an almost identical initiative under a new name...

In an era of large-scale land acquisitions, which are resulting not in investments in local economies but in land grabs from local communities, it is imperative to respect the rights and livelihoods of all citizens of Ethiopia. The World Bank and the United States can and need to do better.