The European Union (EU) recently approved a grant to Egypt totaling 277 million euros ( $380 million) for development projects on public services, said James Moran, Head of European Union Delegation to Egypt in a press conference on Thursday. Moran said that the EU grant–in cooperation with the German government–is part of the Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (PDP). It has allocated 20 million euros, part of which is included in the aforementioned EU aid to Egypt, to improve five informal areas in Greater Cairo over five years. The five informal areas targeted are Matariya in Cairo, Old Boulaq in Giza and Qalyub, Shubra and Khosoos in Qalyubeya. The project aims to help two million inhabitants out of 12 million are currently living there. "The programme is in line with the Egyptian Government's policy to improve informal areas and to address unemployment with an emphasis on helping women and youth,” Moran said. On the sidelines of the conference, Moran said that the EU has not suspended any aid to Egypt, and denied any reports in this regard. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/88998.aspx