Brussels, 18/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the European Commission decided to grant EUR 700,000 to the Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN), a project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA). This service provides some 15,000 players in humanitarian action with precise and serious information on current crises. Funds released by the Commission via ECHO, its humanitarian aid office, will allow the UN-OCHA to extend its information capacities thanks to the establishment of an information and analysis unit in Nairobi (Kenya). The setting in place of this new unit will mainly increase its capacity to produce analytical reports on humanitarian developments in the regions of Africa and Central Asia affected by major conflicts. Community aid will also serve to support IRIN's activities in the field of publishing.