The European Commission said here on Friday it has provided Guatemala with 1.325 million euros ( about 1.9 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian aid to fight against drought. The commission said it allocated the funds to help those most- affected populations who are living in the 'dry corridor' of Guatemala bordering Honduras and Salvador. 'Central America, especially Guatemala, has been particularly hard hit by El Nino this season,' said Karel De Gucht, commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid. 'This funding will enable the 20,000 beneficiaries to survive the period between the depletion of their reserves and the next harvest.' According to the commissioner, the funds will be channeled through the commission's Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) with projects implemented by its humanitarian partners. The funding will provide food assistance, the distribution of seeds, food-for- work programs, the improvement of water distribution and stocking systems, as well as a system of surveillance for food security. The commissioner said, around 20,000 of the most vulnerable people in the region, whose survival is threatened by the recent climatic events, will benefit from this aid. Food availability in the region has become perilous over the past few months as the drought has led to a loss of 70 percent of the harvest in certain parts of the country. 