February 2, 2006
Venezuela donates USD 800,000 to fight famine in Mali

(El Universal) - "The national government has provided USD 800,000 to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in order to help fight famine in Mali.

The move is in reply to a call by WFP to mitigate the food crisis undergone in Western Africa, Foreign Vice-Minister for African Affairs Reinaldo Bolívar told reporters, as quoted by EFE.

'Venezuela is in international solidarity because human life is most important and if we can cooperate, we simply ought to do it,' Bolívar said.

The aid is part of the government international cooperation program including a grant last September of USD 1.5 million for Niger, USD 1 million for Burkina Faso and USD 500,000 for Mauritania".