Gov’t bans activity of 1000 NGOs over terror-related charges

CAIRO - 23 May 2017: The state has banned the activities of 1000 NGOs, after being accused of funding terrorist groups, according to Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Waly’s statements during a parliamentarian session on Tuesday.

“The banned NGOs’ funds, donations and expenditure are now subject to the supervision of a specified committee including representatives of social solidarity and justice ministries, security and supervisory bodies,” Waly said during her meeting with parliament’s social solidarity committee, appealing officials and citizens to report NGOs using their funds to back terrorist acts.

The minister clarified that foreign funding to NGOs undergo a process. This process starts with applying to security apparatuses to check their funding source, pointing out to that the ministry has frozen some NGOs upon reports of their suspected purposes.

Parlimentarians called on the minister to tighten their control over NGO’s funds, since some terrorist organizations depend on civil society to fund their acts.