The European Union (EU) has announced a 166 million euros (about 200 million US dollars) aid package for 10 poor African countries, local media reported on Tuesday.

The aid, which will be made available mainly in 2006 by the EU's executive arm European Commission, will go to Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Chad, Tanzania, Uganda, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Madagascar and Comoros.

Sudan will receive 48 million euros to help the victims of fighting in the western region of Darfur.

The DRC will get 38 million euros to improve health care for women and children and to help in the settlement of refugees.

Burundi is to receive 17 million euros, Liberia 16.4 million, Uganda 15 million, Chad 13.5 million and Tanzania 11.5 million.

The EU, the world's largest aid donor, agreed this year to boost aid spending to 0.51 percent of gross national income (GNI) by 2010 and 0.7 percent by 2015.

The EU has also agreed that half of the increase in aid will go towards Africa.

Source: Xinhua