Tunisia Unrest: France pledges 1 billion euros aid

France will provide one billion euros in aid to Tunisia over the next five years, President Francois Hollande said on Friday as the North African state struggles with the worst unrest since an uprising five years ago.

The announcement came on the same day that Tunisia declared a nationwide curfew after days of protests and violence against rising unemployment spread across the country.

“One of the main objectives of the plan is to help disadvantaged regions and youth by acting strongly on jobs,” the French president said in a statement after a meeting with Tunisian Prime Minister, Habib Essid.

“Five years after the revolution, Tunisia has succeeded in its democratic transition but remains confronted by major economic, social and security challenges,” Hollande’s office said.

Essid, who was forced to cut short his tour of Europe to return to deal with the latest crisis, warned that joblessness could not be eradicated overnight, saying: “We don’t have a magic wand.”