The World Bank said it has approved $143 million 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 in a statement on Thursday, June 23, 2022, that the funds would support the country’s drought response through cash transfers to 500,000 households.
Svensson said the World Bank was doing all it could within the current programme 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.
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.
It would also ensure the continuity of a regular safety net programme which would deliver the much-needed cash assistance to chronically poor and vulnerable households.
This is the first time that Somalia had a nationwide social safety net programme that could be rapidly deployed to help save lives.
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