The World Bank has suspended new disbursements from a $150 million fund to expand a national park in southern Tanzania, a spokesperson said on Wednesday, after the lender received allegations of killings and evictions by rangers last year.

The World Bank has suspended funding for a tourism project in Tanzania that caused the suffering of tens of thousands of villagers, according to a U.S.-based rights group that has long urged the global lender to take such action.

T he World Bank has halted its funding of a $150m ($120m) tourism project in Tanzania following allegations of rape, evictions and killings. The Ruaha National Park was reportedly meant to double in size as part of the project, but critics say the expansion has led to widespread abuses.

Plan to expand Ruaha national park has been beset by allegations of abuse, leading bank to withhold final $50m of $150m budget

The Ruaha National Park was reportedly meant to double in size as part of the project, but critics say the expansion has led to widespread abuses. The bank began investigating last year after it was accused of complicity in the abuses.