UN hails Dutch aid

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has praised the Dutch government for its help to thousands of Ethiopians, displaced during the two-year war with Eritrea. The country has donated more than 72 million Ethiopian Birr (around US $8.5 million) to support water, health, basic education and shelter programmes in response to a UN appeal. Thousands of families living in Tigray and Afar along the 1,000 km border with Eritrea benefited from the help. "Ethiopia is one of our 17 concentration countries and in that sense we are prioritising our efforts here," a spokesman for the Netherlands embassy in Addis Ababa told IRIN. "We are seeing some promising signs now that the conflict with Eritrea is over. Compared to other countries our aid is quite low, given the population, but it is something we are increasing substantially if the situation in the country allows." At present the Netherlands aid budget for Ethiopia is approximately Euros 25 million (about US $22 million). Bob McCarthy, the head of UNICEF Emergency Team, welcomed the efforts of the Dutch government. "Much of the positive impact of UNICEF assistance for the displaced should be credited to the Dutch government, which has been a generous and consistent partner," he said in a statement.