Western donor-nations have expressed concern about humanitarian aid being diverted to the war effort, although international agencies have affirmed that the conflict is contained at the border and that no aid has been misused. Ethiopian officials suspect that Western protests against the war with Eritrea are an excuse to cover a slow response to the crisis. Observers contend that it is important not to make too much of the conflict, particularly at the expense of aid, since at present there is no fighting going on. Although the situation remains tense, the Ethiopian government is spending only a third of what it once was on the war effort. NGOs face lengthy procedures for obtaining permits and are hampered by restrictions on the number of authorised vehicles and communication facilities.
Air links are problematic and overland trips are usually lengthy and dangerous over poor roads.
Moreover, relief workers often have difficulties tracking down nomads in need. After the kidnapping last year of a relief worker and an attack in February on a relief agency convoy, authorities have been limiting the movement of aid workers. Drought in developed countries rarely turns into a disaster, but in the case of Africa, most of the inhabitants live at a precarious subsistence level and can be pushed over the edge by the smallest crisis. Traditional recovery programmes usually entail a second phase, called draught recovery, which includes replacing lost livestock and distributing seeds and tools. After this, international agencies tend to move on, without helping to implement the necessary systems that would avert further disasters.