Bonn/Harare: The governemt of Zimbabwe has today prompted all international aid organization to suspend their activities until further notice. A correspondent letter has been received by the HELP office in Harare today. In the letter the NGOs were accused of "breaching the terms and conditions of their registration ...However, it can be presumed that this measure can be linked to the forthcoming run-off presidential vote on 27 June between president Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

HELP will tentatively follow the suspension order and carefully observe further developments. The international aid workers will remain in Zimbabwe for the time being.

„This step will further aggravate the dramatic situation of the population in Zimbabwe. As a result of the poor economic situation hundreds of thousands in the whole country have to rely on foreign aid. We hope, that the suspension order will be lifted as soon as possible, HELP managing director Karin Settele said in Bonn/Germany.

HELP from Germany has been working in Zimbabwe for 16 years incomprehensive aid projects and could follow the dramatic decline of the economy and the steady impoverishment of the population caused by a failed policy in the last years. Nowadays, HELP is working under difficult conditions in food aid, agricultural and medical projects as well as water supply projects.

Media Contact: Berthold Engelmann Press Officer Tel.: +49 228 915 29 29 Fax: +49 228 915 29 99 Mobile: +49 173 708 2553 Mail: engelmann@help-ev.de