Since 2004 the US has earmarked US$93.8 million in financial aid to Egypt for assisting accredited civil societies in implementing democracy programs in collaboration with the Egyptian government, according to the Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation. Marawan Badr, assistant to the International Cooperation Minister, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the amount of US aid targeting the promotion of democracy has reached US$208.45 million since 2004. From this amount, US$114.65 million has been devoted to government programs targeting the promotion of decentralization, media development, improving family courts, and human and children's rights programs, Badr added. According to Badr, US economic aid to Egypt since 1975 has now reached US$28.3 billion, of which US$24.48 billion has been directed to electricity and infrastructure projects, with the remaining US$3.8 billion representing food loans (which came to a halt in 1993). Ninety percent of the stated loans have been settled, said Badr, who added that economic assistance since 2009 has not exceeded US$250 million. The Egyptian government previously announced that it would cease economic aid within the next ten years, focusing its assistance instead on technical collaboration, human development, and sharing technological and scientific knowledge. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
