World Bank on Wednesday announced a $1.6bn “financial package” funds to help African nations- Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and South Sudan, all African nations, as well as Yemen, in the Middle East, stave off famine that now threatens an estimated 20 million people.
In a statement on Wednesday, the bank expressed solidarity with people of these nations now threatened by famine, following which it is “mobilizing an immediate response, beginning with working “with partners to make sure that families have access to food and water.”
The package, the bank said, would help “build social protection systems, strengthen community resilience, and maintain service delivery to the most vulnerable.”
Existing operations of over $870m, the statement said, is expected to help communities in those countries threatened by famine.
The statement quoted Jim Yong Kim as saying: “I am also working with our Board of Directors to secure the approval of new operations amounting to $770 million, funded substantially through IDA’s Crisis Response Window.
“The World Bank Group will help respond to the immediate needs of the current famine, but we must recognize that famine will have lasting impacts on people’s health, ability to learn, and earn a living. So we will also continue to work with communities to reclaim their livelihoods and build resilience to future shocks.”
The bank said it is coordinating closely with the UN and other partners, realizing that resolving this acute crisis is only possible with partnership of all humanitarian and development actors working together.
“We call on the international community to respond robustly and quickly to the UN global appeal for resources for the famine,” the statement added, calling for investments to address the root causes and drivers of fragility, while helping countries to build institutional resilience, thereby preventing crises in the future.