EU pledges funds to help end hunger

The European Union pledged on Tuesday to provide 60 million Euros (US $71.9 million) to help end hunger and food aid dependency for five million people in Ethiopia. The funds, from the European Development Fund, will help finance the government's pilot safety nets scheme, in which hungry people are each given food or US $0.60 a day in return for doing public works like road building. Delays in distribution of aid to hungry families have, however, sparked concern. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said earlier this month that the delays had fuelled high malnutrition in many parts of the impoverished country. The EU also gave 8.5 million Euros to Ethiopia and Eritrea to fight the threat of famine and help 1.5 million people. The funds will largely be spent on medical and nutritional assistance, basic water supplies, livestock support, and protection of civilians in war-ravaged regions. "More than half the population is malnourished and only 50 percent of Ethiopians have access to safe drinking water," an EU statement said. Eritrea, after five years of poor rains, also faces critical humanitarian needs. "Water shortages and the poor quality of the water that is available have had a negative impact on communities that are already highly vulnerable," the EU said. "The nutritional status of the population is badly affected by livestock losses."