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MAPUTO (Reuters) – The World Bank has increased emergency aid to three southern African countries affected by the cyclone that claimed the lives of several hundred people in March to $ 700 million. Friday the lender.
PHOTO FILE: Buildings damaged during hurricane Kenneth are seen from the sky in a village north of Pemba, Mozambique, on May 1, 2019. REUTERS / Mike Hutchings
More than 1,000 people were killed in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi after Cyclone Idai, the worst cyclone in decades, hit the east coast of the Indian Ocean, causing strong winds and rains.
New World Bank President David Malpass, who is in Africa on his first trip abroad, visited the affected areas of the port city of Beira, Mozambique, on Friday.
The bank announced it was activating the International Development Association's (IDA) Crisis Intervention Window (CRW) to provide a total of $ 545 million to the three countries.
IDA is the bank's fund for the poorest countries.
"This is in addition to the nearly $ 150 million in resources recently released from existing projects. Together, the World Bank's total support for the recovery of the three countries is about $ 700 million, "said the bank.
Mozambique, which has been hardest hit by the hurricane, will receive $ 350 million in CRW funding to restore water supplies, rebuild damaged public infrastructure and support disease prevention, among other things, said the World Bank.
Malawi would receive $ 120 million in funding, while the lender planned to provide an exceptional allocation of up to $ 75 million to some UN agencies to support Zimbabwe.
The bank said it was still evaluating the impact of Cylcone Kenneth on the island country of Comoros, and then on northern Mozambique last month.
"The World Bank Group is working closely with its partners to help people recover from these terrible storms, rebuild stronger than before, and improve countries' resilience to natural disasters," Malpass said in a statement. communicated.
As part of his trip to Africa, Malpass also traveled to Ethiopia and Madagascar to visit several projects funded by the World Bank Group and met with government officials, private sector representatives, and government officials. other stakeholders.
Report by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Edited by James Macharia
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