The European Union is giving an additional $29 million to aid countries in north Africa's Sahel region suffering from drought and poor harvests.
EU Development Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva told reporters Wednesday that the new aid will help alleviate the impact of food scarcities, which are only getting worse in the region.
The money is in addition to $24 million the EU commission says it has pledged to Sahel this year.
Humanitarian programs will target more than seven million people in Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and northern Nigeria. The aid will fund emergency food assistance between harvests, allocation of seeds to farmers and treating acutely malnourished children.
The Sahel was pushed into crisis by erratic rains, resulting in poor harvests. The EU says that setback, coupled with high food prices and limited job opportunities, has forced up to 10 million people in Chad and Niger to require emergency assistance.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.