The World Bank Group is taking broad, fast action to help developing countries strengthen their pandemic response, increase disease surveillance, improve public health interventions, and help the private sector continue to operate and sustain jobs. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the Bank Group has committed over $157 billion to fight the impacts of the pandemic. Provided from April 2020 to June 2021, it includes over $50 billion of IDA resources on grant and highly concessional terms.
In the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region, where the pandemic first hit, emergency operations have already been approved under the COVID-19 fast-track facility for Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kiribati, Lao PDR, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
These operations provide emergency financing for the purchase of medical and laboratory supplies, training of medical staff, and strengthening national public health systems. Each country-level operation is tailored to the specific context and epidemic status of the country.
The World Bank is also working with countries to redeploy existing projects to fight the COVID-19 pandemic by reallocating funds, triggering emergency components of existing projects, and activating Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Options (CAT DDOs). So far this has been done in Cambodia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Tonga, Tuvalu, Samoa, and Vanuatu.
In a second phase of the COVID-19 response, to help countries address the anticipated severe economic, social and poverty impacts, the Bank is working with countries to strengthen social protection measures for the poor and vulnerable, support businesses and safeguard jobs, and advance the reforms needed to shorten the time to recovery and build conditions for broad-based and sustainable growth.
To provide relief for vulnerable populations, low- and middle-income countries need fair, broad, and fast access to effective and safe vaccines. That is why the World Bank is providing $20 billion to low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute vaccines, tests, and treatments, adding $8 billion to the previously announced $12 billion. As of December 23, 2021, the World Bank approved operations to support vaccine rollout in 67 countries amounting to $7.5 billion.
Learn more about the World Bank's support for countries across the East Asia and Pacific region:
- The dedicated COVID-19 Fast-Track Facility
- Other forms of finance/redeploying of existing projects
- Vaccine financing
Countries benefiting from the dedicated COVID-19 Fast-Track Facility
As of December 22, 2021
- Cambodia: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project; Additional financing
- Fiji: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project
- Indonesia: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project; Additional financing
- Kiribati: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project
- Lao PDR: COVID-19 Response Project; Additional financing
- Marshall Islands: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project
- Mongolia: COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Project; Additional financing
- Myanmar: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project; Additional financing
- Papua New Guinea: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project; Additional financing
- Philippines: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project; Additional financing; Second additional financing
- Samoa: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project
- Solomon Islands: COVID-19 Emergency Response Project
- Timor-Leste: COVID-19 Emergency Support Project
- Vietnam: PEF COVID-19 Emergency Response Project
Countries benefiting from other forms of finance/redeploying of existing projects
As of June 28, 2021
- Cambodia: Health Equity and Quality Improvement Project (H-EQIP)
- Cambodia Relief, Recovery and Resilience Development Policy Financing Project
- China: Chongqing Urban Rural Integration Project II-Health
- Federated States of Micronesia: Maritime Investment Project
- Fiji: Social Protection COVID-19 Response and System Development Project
- Indonesia: Social Assistance Reform Program; First Financial Sector Reform Development Policy Financing
- Lao PDR: Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Access to Finance Emergency Support and Recovery Project
- Mongolia: Emergency Relief and Employment Support Project; Employment Support Project; Strengthening Governance in Mongolia Project; E-Health Project, Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) Support for COVID-19
- Myanmar: National Food and Agriculture System Project
- Papua New Guinea Crisis Response and Sustainable Recovery Development Policy Operation
- Philippines: Emergency COVID-19 Response Development Policy Loan; Promoting Competitiveness and Enhancing Resilience to Natural Disasters Development Policy Loan; Additional Financing for KALAHI-CIDSS National Community Driven Development Project; Beneficiary FIRST Social Protection Project
- Samoa: First Response, Recovery and Resilience DPO with a Cat-DDO; Second Resilience DPO with a Cat-DDO; Pacific Resilience Project under Pacific Resilience Program
- Tonga: Climate Resilient Transport Project, Supporting Recovery after Dual Shocks Development Policy Operation; Skills and Employment for Tongans
- Tuvalu: Maritime Investment in Climate Resilient Operations
- Vanuatu: Development Policy Grant with a Cat-DDO
- Vietnam: Australia-World Bank Group Strategic Partnership - Phase 2
As of December 22, 2021
- Cambodia: Additional financing on vaccines
- Indonesia: Additional financing on vaccines and pandemic response
- Lao PDR: Additional financing on vaccines
- Mongolia: Additional financing on vaccines
- Papua New Guinea: Additional financing on vaccines
- Philippines: Additional financing on vaccines and pandemic response; Second additonal financing