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Canada could review Ethiopia aid over farm evictions
OTTAWA - Millions of dollars in Canadian aid to Ethiopia could be under the microscope following reports tens of thousands of indigenous people are being forcibly relocated to make room for large, foreign-run farming operations.
The African nation is the third-largest recipient of Canadian foreign assistance, receiving nearly $170 million per year.
While much of that money is dedicated to maternal and child health, Canada has also contributed tens of millions towards improving Ethiopia's agricultural sector, working specifically toward improving the livelihoods of thousands of poor villages and farmers in the country.
In a report released this week, however, Human Rights Watch says approximately 70,000 indigenous people living in Ethiopia's Western Gambella region are being moved to new villages that don't have adequate food, farmland, health care or educational facilities.
Villagers who have resisted have been threatened, assaulted and arrested, the report adds.
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