Somalia secures 137.5 mln USD for health, drought response

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The World Bank has approved a 137.5 million U.S. dollars International Development Association (IDA) grant to help Somalia respond to COVID-19 and humanitarian crises.

The lender said the Somalia Crisis Response Project (SCRP) will provide immediate support to the hardest-hit areas by supporting the recovery of livelihoods and infrastructure in flood and drought-affected areas and will also strengthen the government’s systems and capacity for disaster preparedness.

Felipe Jaramillo, World Bank country director for Somalia said increasingly frequent and devastating crises are impeding Somalia’s chances of breaking out of a cycle of fragility and poverty.

“Even as it recovers from drought, Somalia faces a triple shock of locust, flooding, and now COVID-19,” Jaramillo said in a statement issued in Mogadishu on Monday.

The World Bank said the project includes a 20.5 million dollar emergency investment in COVID-19 response as part of the government’s urgent request for additional financing.

The Bank said the project’s immediate response will benefit up to 1.7 million Somalis – particularly the most vulnerable populations, farming communities, internally displaced persons, rural and urban communities, and host communities with a strong focus on female-headed households affected by locusts and flooding.

Abdirahman Beileh, Minister of Finance of Somalia said the project reinforces the leadership of the government and the federal member states towards ushering in sustainable and resilient recovery from the multiple crises afflicting the country.