Commission provides €620,000 in humanitarian aid to Eritrea

The European Commission has allocated €620,000 for emergency food security measures aimed at securing the 2005 agricultural campaign for up to 35,000 vulnerable households in the Gash Barka and Debub regions of Eritrea.

The aid is being provided through ECHO, the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department, which comes under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel. The funds channelled through the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) will cover the distribution of seeds, tools and animal feed.

Successive droughts in Eritrea have disrupted traditional seed-saving practices and households unfortunately had to use their limited seed stocks in order to survive. Furthermore, adverse climatic conditions have resulted in a growing and acute fodder deficit far above the 'normal' chronic situation. This comes at a time when the demand on oxen for ploughing is highest, and when the mainly female-headed households are in dire need of extra support.

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• Commission provides EUR 8.5 million in humanitarian aid for Ethiopia and Eritrea (26/7/2005)
• EU Presidency Statement - Appointment of UN Special Envoy to Ethiopia and Eritrea  (4/2/2004)