[10/March/2010] SANA'A, March 10 (Saba)- Two agreements were singed here on Wednesday under which the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) offers KD 22.5 million to help funding the rural roads development project and protection Sana'a from floods.

Under the agreements signed by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul Karim al-Arhabi, and by AFESD's Director General Abdul Latif al-Hamad, the Fund will provide KD 15 million to help to the financing of rural roads development project (phase III).

In addition to providing KD 7 million dedicated to contribute to funding a project to protect the city of Sana'a from flood damage, as well as a technical assistance worth KD 500 thousand to fund the costs of the institutional capacities building program to implement and manage projects in Yemen.

After signing the agreements, al-Arhabi hailed the AFESD's effective contributions to support development in Yemen.

For his part, al-Hamad affirmed the Fund's keenness to continue to present all aspects of support to the development in Yemen.

He pointed out that the Arab Fund is interested especially with supporting the preservation of the heritage of the Old City of Sana'a.

The rural roads development project is a part of the third phase of a program aimed at linking the rural areas and isolated villages to cities and urban centers and to facilitate arriving of basic services and goods to the population and to improve the social situation and to contribute in the fight against poverty through development and rehabilitation of a number of rural roads in the various provinces across the country.

Whereas, the project to protect the Old City of Sana'a aims to protect people, buildings, shops and infrastructure from potential damage of the torrential rains and floods in different parts of the capital Sana'a.

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Saba