Brussels, Belgium - EU grants more financial assistance to famine-stricken Sahel countries

The European Union (EU) has granted countries in the Sahel region a supplementary financial aid of 18.5 million euros, taking its total financial assistance to the region from 95 million euros to 123.5 million euros, the EU said in a statement here Thursday.

It said that the financial assistance was meant for those countries ravaged by famine.

According to the statement, the financial grants will be released in favour of 12 million people threatened by famine in the five countries of the Sahel -- Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad -- where malnutrition rates are constantly increasing, commodity prices soaring and massive displacements of populations and livestock reported.

Pana 09/02/2012