Brussels, 25/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 25 November, European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs announced that a total of eight new development projects would benefit from an overall amount of €240 million from the 10th European Development Fund (EDF). This announcement was made in Addis Abeba where the Commissioner is currently taking part in the joint ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly (see EUROPE 10969).
The new funding agreements involve a broad range of projects to guarantee access to basic services (primary school education, health care, drinking water supplies) as well as the improvement of maternal health care and support for women entrepreneurs.
The Commissioner stated that “this support will boost Ethiopia's efforts to increase economic growth and reduce poverty… Strengthening the resilience of the population to future droughts and the economic shocks that result from them is also essential in Ethiopia”.
Funding will be distributed as follows: road sector support programme: €49 million; trade enhancement and facilitation programme: €10 million; promoting basic services: €73 million; improving skilled birth delivery services: €40.4 million; project promoting women entrepreneurs: €6.4 million; project for developing the role of civil society in governance and development activities: €6 million; technical cooperation facility: €4.5 million; project to enhance Ethiopia's resilience capacity: €50 million. (AN/transl.fl)