By Tsegaye Tadesse
The MSF charity told a news conference in neighbouring Kenya on Tuesday that it was blocked from entering areas worst affected by the fighting between Ethiopian government forces and Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebels.
Two of the aid agency's expatriate staff responsible for Ethiopia spoke of seeing burned and deserted villages, locals fleeing to the bush and a dire health situation at the end of June and start of July.
But the local state government in the region said the reports were a baseless attempt to project an image of instability in the Ogaden.
"The nature of the reports released by the two organisations shows that it is part of the campaign launched by some elements with a view to disgrace the ongoing development and good governance, justice and democratisation process in the state," it said in a statement.
"The two organisations (MSF Belgium and MSF Holland) have violated both their professional ethics and their agreement to be non-partisan and non-political in their activities."
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government has denied blocking MSF from the region, saying it does not have any no-go zones in Ethiopia.
MSF's departure from Ogaden came after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said last month it had pulled out of the region following a government order.
With journalists effectively blocked from the region, it is hard to verify the situation, or weigh up the frequent claims and counter-claims of mass casualties and human rights abuses between the government and ONLF.
A U.N. fact-finding mission has been in Ogaden for nearly a week, but has made no public comment yet on its findings.
MSF said in the three worst-affected areas now off-limits to it, there was one doctor for 400,000 people. Drugs were scant, natal care was minimal, and there were problems of respiratory infections, diarrhoea, malnutrition and tuberculosis in an area already prone to famine, MSF staff said.
Ethiopia calls the ONLF -- whose numbers are estimated at several thousand -- a terrorist group backed by foe Eritrea.
ONLF rebels say they are fighting for greater autonomy for their homeland, an arid region on the Somalia border which is mainly populated by nomadic herdsmen.
Regional diplomats are increasingly concerned about the Ogaden conflict, while Addis Ababa is unhappy at the growing international attention on the issue.
Source: Reuters, Sept 05, 2007