Brussels, 16/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has approved a further 53 million EUR to victims of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. This aid, to be administered via Echo (Humanitarian aid office of the Community), will be divided up as follows: 5.7 million EUR to help vulnerable populations, in the north and centre of the country, face the winter via revenue-generating projects ("money against work" project, planting trees, making covers and clothes for children); - 3.7 million EUR for "money against work" projects in water supply and cleansing, and for food safety in the south and west of the country, where drought is rife; - 1.76 million EUR to help refugees, displaced and repatriated persons to return home; - 0.5 million EUR to improve safety of Echo's partner NGOs, who are responsible for setting up projects on the ground.
These funds will be added to the 36.2 million EUR which were allocated last April to fund a wide range of humanitarian operations in Afghanistan.