The European Commission on Thursday said it was allocating an additional two million euros (1.7 million dollars) in humanitarian aid to victims of fighting in the Chechnya conflict.
A spokesman said the money would go to fund food distribution and protection of "people's rights in the Northern Caucacus - Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia."
The latest allocation, the spokesman said, brings the EU's total aid to the region since the start of the conflict in autumn 1999 to 44 million euros.
He said the commission regretted that aid groups were encountering logistics problems operating in the region, particularly in radio communications and access authorizations in Chechnya.
The spokesman said Commission President Romano Prodi had recently written to Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing concern -- BRUSSELS (AFP)
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