Around 900 kg of clothes, toys and school equipment from Belgium has been held in Addis Abeba airport since January due to an Ethiopian import ban on second hand clothes, Belgian broadcaster VRTnieuws reported Tuesday.

The donations was collected in five Belgian cities over the last winter and sent to Ethiopia in late January.

The cargo was blocked by the Ethiopian authorities on its arrival at Addis Abeba airport and has remained in customs ever since despite negotiations with the Ethiopian minister responsible, the report said.

Dirk Vandervelden, who organized the collection and delivery of material aid, wanted to distribute the cargo between four local projects mainly to help poor, often orphaned, children.

A decision is yet to be made as to whether the material aid may leave Ethiopia. If not, it will be destroyed by the customs officers, Vandervelden said.

But Vandervelden said he will still try his best to get the much needed second-hand supplies to those who could put them to good use.

Source: Xinhua