The World Bank Thursday said it has approved 143 million U.S. dollars in International Development Assistance (IDA) financing to help vulnerable Somalis tackle severe drought and food insecurity conditions.
World Bank Country Manager for Somalia Kristina Svensson said the funds will support the country’s drought response through cash transfers to 500,000 households.
Svensson said the World Bank is doing all it can within the current program to protect the most vulnerable at this time of great need.
“We are leveraging partnerships with humanitarian actors to alleviate the situation before we lose more lives and livelihoods,” she added in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
The lender said this additional financing to the existing Somalia Shock Responsive Safety Net for Human Capital Project (SNHCP), also known as Baxnaano (which means to uplift in Somali), will provide an extra boost to the country’s drought response and ensure the continuity of a regular safety net program which delivers much-needed cash assistance to chronically poor and vulnerable households.
“This is a lifeline for families that have been disproportionately affected by persistent shocks such as cyclical droughts and floods, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2020-21 desert locust plague, among others,” the World Bank said.
MG/abj/APA