- CAIRO: Central Bank of Egypt figures show the country's net international reserves have fallen by $2 billion in December, bringing their overall decline to 50 percent since December 2010.
Statistics posted on the central bank's website showed net international reserves dropped to $18.1 billion by the end of 2011.
The figures reflect the economic crunch confronting the country since a mass uprising ousted former President Hosni Mubarak in mid-February.
The interim government has been forced to lean heavily on foreign reserves, in part, to provide support for the Egyptian pound which has faced depreciation pressure as the months of unrest battered the country's economy and largely devastated the vital tourism sector.