E.U. grants 1.7 million euros for Ethiopia drought relief

BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) -- The European Commission said on Tuesday it had approved 1.675 million euros ($1.55 million) in additional aid to an estimated two million people living in drought-affected regions in Ethiopia.

The money will be spent on food, health care, water supplies and logistical support over the next seven months, the Commission -- the European Union's executive -- said in a statement.

The latest aid package brings total E.U. aid to Ethiopia this year to 6.965 million euros, plus 432,500 tons of cereals, the Commission said.

Earlier this year, humanitarian agencies criticized the E.U. and other governments for failing to respond quickly enough to a threat of impending famine in the Horn of Africa.

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