A CHARITY is being forced to sell off humanitarian aid destined for Eastern Europe because it is too difficult to get supplies through.

Operation Joseph, based in Bishop Auckland, was set up just over three years ago to distribute urgently-needed supplies to poverty-stricken areas of Romania.

Several times a year the registered charity takes toys, dried food, clothes and other goods to isolated rural areas and gipsy camps, but owing to new legislation in Romania and Hungary, many supply vans are being turned back.

Donations of baby milk, clothes and dried food can no longer be taken into the country and this, coupled with mounting transportation costs and taxes, means it is no longer a viable way of sending aid.

Now the organisation has just three weeks to get rid of the hundreds of donated supplies stored in their Bishop Auckland warehouse, before the lease on the building expires. It also has to sell its two minibuses and washing machines used to wash second-hand clothes.

Spokeswoman for the group Meg Ellison, from Bishop Auckland, said: "I think the reason the Hungarian and Romanian authorities brought in the new legislation is a lot of the things taken over from the West ends up sold on the black market and they also want to boost their own economy.

"But when we hand out our provision we know exactly who it's going to. My concern is the poorest people aren't getting the things they need."

There is still an urgent need for help. Operation Joseph provides support for children's homes, a street feeding programme and cares for young people with HIV.

Most of the aid is targeted at rural areas or gypsy communities, which have little access to shops or amenities. A recent trip by the group discovered 500 families in a village were sharing one tap.

Mrs Ellison said: "I think things are slowly improving in the cities, there's more provisions in the shops, more roads and building work. But the gypsies are despised in Romania. They live in villages on their own.

"Some are definitely malnourished, especially the children. They live in things like sheds, with rags stuffed in the windows and earth floors. It's very cold, especially in the mountains."

Operation Joseph will instead raise money and buy goods in Romania.

On Saturday the charity will open up the warehouse to sell the goods.

The warehouse opens out on to Peel Street and Chester Street in Bishop Auckland and will be open from 10am-4pm. Anyone who can help the charity should call (01388) 605825.