WASHINGTON, June 15, 2017— The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved three grants totaling US$80 million for hurricane recovery efforts. The additional financing aims to restore the quality and supply of health services and scale up cholera prevention and response; secure safe, reliable and resilient water supply services; and sustain agricultural production through farming subsidy and cash for works schemes in hurricane affected areas in the South of Haiti.
“With the approval of these grants, the World Bank is striving to fulfill its commitment to the people of Haiti to help them recover and be more resilient to natural disasters,” said Mary Barton Dock, the World Bank’s Special Envoy for Haiti. “As the government has started to prepare for the new hurricane season, this additional support puts a greater emphasis on strengthening resilience of essential agriculture, health and water services and target those most in need”.
According to the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, losses in agriculture, livestock and fishing was estimated at US$ 593 million, with a long term impact on the livelihoods of the rural population. While the education and health sectors were less impacted, the population was significantly affected by the interruption of services and destruction of schools and health centers. Water services and sanitation have long been lacking and were particularly vulnerable to natural disasters in these areas: only 58 percent of Haitians have access to water (48 percent in rural areas) and 28 percent to improved sanitation (19 percent in rural areas).
Eight months after the hurricane, recovery is under way. Part of the winter harvest was saved and about 8,000 hectares have been planted with various food crop for the spring harvest in Les Anglais, Dubreuil, Chantal, D’Avezac, and Dory. Through the additional financing in agriculture, about 20,000 farmers will receive cash for work, and thousands of producers will receive agricultural inputs, livestock, technical support, and benefit from restored irrigation systems. This will contribute to rebuild their assets and productive capacities under more climate resilient conditions.
Rapid scaled-up response in water and sanitation interventions, and in health resulted in a decrease in suspected new cases of cholera and in cholera related deaths. Through the additional financing in health and water, about 385,000 Haitians living in affected areas will get improved access to water; mothers and children will have access to improved health services; communities in cholera affected areas will benefit from intensified surveillance, prevention efforts and treatment; and 40 health facilities will be rehabilitated and fully functioning.
These grants are part of the US$100 million package of support mobilized by the International Development Association's (IDA) Crisis Response Window* for reconstruction after the devastating impact of Hurricane Matthew. A US$20 million grant to rehabilitate roads and bridges, and strengthen the disaster risk management capacity of the civil protection teams was already approved last week.
Background on how the World Bank is helping Haiti recover from Hurricane Matthew:
In the immediate aftermath, the World Bank mobilized more than US$49 million from existing resources for emergency efforts including rehabilitation of roads and bridges, school repairs and school meals, rehabilitation of water systems and emergency sanitation, scaling up a rapid cholera response, distribution of seeds and fertilizer for the winter planting season, and cash to repair irrigation canals.
An additional US$30 million grant was mobilized a month after the storm to improve learning and enrollment of students in the four departments of Southern Haiti, and a total of US$100 million was pledged from IDA’s Crisis Response Window to support the most affected population in the South in recovering and improving resilience in the agriculture, health, water and sanitation, and transport sectors.
* The IDA Crisis Response Window is designed to help low-income countries recover from severe disasters and crises.
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