By NNN-KPL,
Vientiane : The European Commission, which is the executive institute of the Union, has agreed to give a further 400,000 euros or (around 4.4 billion kip) to communities facing food insecurity caused by flooding and drought in central and southern Laos.
The EU Charge d’Affaires in Vientiane, Mr. Henry Prankerd said the European Union has recognised that rural communities in certain parts of Laos are suffering from unusual weather patterns, with flooding in central regions and long dry spells in southern Laos.
“Families still recovering from the effects of Typhoon Ketsana in 2009 in particular, are struggling to put food on the table,” he said.
The European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), responsible for managing the assistance, is using the Small Scale Response Fund to commit 200,000 euros to a project to be implemented by CARE Australia for distribution of rice and vegetable seeds and tools to 1,800 families in southern Attapeu province.
The funds will also be used to provide water wheels for irrigation systems in three villages and training in vegetable seed planting to improve yields, according to EU press release.
In the central province of Khammouane, a further 200,000 euros will be used by the French Red Cross to distribute rice rations for three months to 3,500 people affected by recent floods.
Around 350 families will also receive livestock and seeds to restore 350 hectares of local farmland.
District Disaster Management committees (DDMC) throughout Laos will also benefit from further training in disaster risk reduction and data collection, which will link this project to actions being undertaken under ECHO’s disaster preparedness programme for Laos.