Almost 1.5 million more euros will be added to a fund set up by Italy to help African nations, specifically for projects in Niger and Ethiopia.
The Italian foreign ministry has announced that it will allocated more money to the Africa Fund, which finances projects in migrants' countries of origin and transit.
Project against trafficking in Niger
An initial 800,000 euros was allocated to the UN office for drug control and crime prevention (UNODC) to strengthen the capacities of Niger's judicial authorities to work against human trafficking, in cooperation with Italy.
In a statement, the Italian foreign ministry said that Niger, where many migration routes towards the central Mediterranean intersect, remains a priority for Italy.
Help for refugees and returnees in Ethiopia
The second badge of money -- 642,000 euros -- will go to the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to strengthen inclusive credit services for refugees and host communities in three Ethiopian regions -- Tigray, the Somali region, and the capital Addis Adeba.
The initiative is part of a larger framework of projects financed by the Africa Fund that support UN organisations working with refugees in Ethiopia. The goals of the new project: Firstly, to improve economic self-sufficiency for refugees -- especially refugee women . Secondly, to support Ethiopians who have voluntarily returned to their home country.
In 2019, the Africa Fund used almost 10 million euros to strengthen migrant and refugee assistance and to consolidate technical support to local authorities in fighting against undocumented migration.