Addis Ababa July 27(ENA)--The Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed an over 2.4 million US dollars aid agreement here on Friday.

The grant would be utilized to reinforce the development projects being undertaken by local and international NGOs in nine national states.

The projects were being carried out in Addis Ababa, Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, Gambella, Benishangul Gumuz, Harari, Somali and South Ethiopia Peoples' States, according to the agreement.

The projects mainly focused on agriculture, environmental protection, natural resources conservation, micro-credit services, HIV/AIDS prevention and family planning, among others.

upon going operational the projects would serve 736,000 people.

Commissioner Simon Mechale and US ambassador to Ethiopia, Tibor Nagy, signed the grant agreement.

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