DONORS are concerned about hold-ups in the delivery of emergency aid in Ethiopia, including some 16000 mt donated by the European Union which has remained in Djibouti Port for 18 days. There is “a greater need for flexibility” instead of a “tendency towards centralisation” during the present crisis, humanitarian sources said. The Ministry of Transport introduced new regulations this week which prevent NGOs from hiring trucks directly; requests must pass through a committee at the ministry. Humanitarian staff said the changes have resulted in increased tariff rates and delayed trucking contracts. The credentials of trucks carrying food aid are being examined at checkpoints at regional borders inside Ethiopia. “There is a hiatus”, which may be because the government is dealing with a shortage of trucks, said one humanitarian official.