Brussels, 13/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has allocated 2.5 million euro in humanitarian aid to vulnerable sections of the Yemeni population, notably to women and children. The aid, delivered from the budget of ECHO, the Commission's humanitarian aid section, will be used to provide clean drinking water and health care in rural regions of the Yemen, where water-borne diseases are among the main causes of infant mortality (death in childbirth represents 49% of deaths of women). Some 300,000 people will benefit from the provision of clean drinking water and the delivery of health care will help some 70,000.
Over the last five years, the Commission has allocated 90 million euro to the Yemen, 12.2 million of which was in humanitarian aid and 34 million in support for food safety.