The executive's fund will help fight poverty

Its International Development Fund will help dozens of Scottish-based groups with their work in countries like Malawi, Ethiopia and Namibia.

The �9m will be spread over the next two years.

The programme was announced by International Development Minister Patricia Ferguson, who said demand for funding was sky high.

We have decided to increase the fund in response to the very high demand for support Patricia Ferguson International Development Minister

A total of 24 projects in Malawi, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Namibia and the areas affected by the tsunami and the Asian earthquake will receive �3.1m over the next three years.

Among the schemes being assisted is an Edinburgh-based project to help an association of macadamia nut growers in Malawi sell their crop directly to countries like Scotland.

Another group called Deaf Action will work with deaf people from Scotland, Malawi and Swaziland to help train and register sign language interpreters.

Since the fund was set up last year, 58 individual projects have been awarded more than �7.7m.

Fighting poverty

Of that total, 35 initiatives Malawi-based have received more than �5m.

Scotland has had links with Malawi for 150 years and a co-operation agreement was signed between the two nations last year.

It aims to strengthening the African country's young democracy and fighting poverty and disease.

Another round of applications for the remaining money is expected to be announced in the future.

'Humanitarian crisis'

Ms Ferguson said the fund was already making a difference.

"The International Development Fund has worked well to enable Scottish-based aid agencies to tackle the humanitarian crisis that has stemmed from an unprecedented number of natural and man-made disasters.

"We have decided to increase the fund in response to the very high demand for support.

"It reinforces our international development commitments and particularly supports our co-operation agreement with Malawi."