The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) provided an aid of US$54.5 million to Myanmar in 2008 for running humanitarian programs in cyclone-hit areas in the country, according to the office's latest release.

The fund for 2008 was up 105 percent compared with that for 2007 which amounted to US$26.5 million.

Of the total, US$40.5 million were used for humanitarian projects, while the remaining 14 million dollars for food programs.

EU have been providing Myanmar with humanitarian assistance since 1994.

Deadly tropical cyclone Nargis hit five divisions and states - Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on May 2 and 3 last year, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructural damage.

The storm has killed 84,537 people, leaving 53,836 missing and 19,359 injured according to official death toll.

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2009)