In addition, it called for the Western donors to increase their donations by a further $1 billion a year.

Is it right that African countries are still dependent on food aid from western donors?

Britain is the largest Western military donor with an annual aid program of about $4 million.

The organization says this extra charge is more than twice the value of all the free food these nations received from Western donors last year.

Increasingly, he said, Western donors are financing local groups directly, instead of going through international structures.

They also fear that Western donors and investors could be put off if reforms were slowed.

Concern was expressed that Western donors might link aid to political reform.

He said the provincial government was sharing the cost with Western donors and building on three years of pilot projects.

Experts say that while the program is not binding on any country, it will influence how Western donors lend and spend their money.

Western donors had promised to help finance the program, but until now have delayed putting cash on the table.