Washington, November 2, 2010 — The World Bank approved a US$40 million grant and credittoday to help restore the losses and damage from typhoon Ketsana in Cambodia.The Ketsana Emergency Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Project (KERRP) aims torestore transportation and water and sanitation services to the affected peoplewho are mostly poor and live in the rural areas, as well as to strengthen thecapacity of the government in disaster preparedness and management.
“Typhoon Ketsanadevastated the lives and livelihood of tens of thousands of Cambodian people,particularly the poor. This project will help to restore thedamaged infrastructure such as rural roads and provide basic services such aswater and sanitation facilities, to the affected people in mostly rural areas ,”saidthe World Bank Country Manager for Cambodia, Qimiao Fan.
The InternationalDevelopment Association – the division of the World Bank that helps the world’spoorest countries – is providing a grant and an interest-free loan for theproject: each valued at US$20 million. This four-year project will focus onfour main components:
- The rehabilitation, reconstruction and improvement of 920 km of existing rural roads, including bridges, culverts and drainage facilities. The construction of 1,400 community-based wells with hand pumps, and the building of 32,000 units of pour-flush latrines for the affected households.
- Supporting Emergency Response by providing retroactive financial support for specific eligible expenditures for emergency response works.
- Supporting project implementation agencies by providing technical assistance in project management such as detailed surveys, engineering designs, procurement, financial management, construction supervision, monitoring and evaluation, and community outreach.
- Strengthening the capacity building of institutions by supporting the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) in increasing its capacity for disaster preparedness and management. This will be achieved through the development of national and provincial risk maps, emergency management information, and early warning systems, as well as the development of housing and building codes.
The World Bank's programin Cambodia is designed to provide support to the poorest segments of thepopulation, within the overarching goal to improve governance.
