As the COVID-19 pandemic spread widely through MENA, the World Bank quickly surged support to help blunt severe health and economic damage. The MENA Region launched a Regional Platform to help the countries respond to the health crisis and alleviate the pain of the most vulnerable. The immediate response included financing, policy advice, and technical assistance to help countries cope with the urgent health needs of the pandemic and support safety net systems including cash transfer programs.
To date, the World Bank has provided around US$1 billion in emergency support across MENA to help with the most urgent public health needs, along with additional lending to support macroeconomic stability and advance structural reforms underpinned by improved governance and transparency. As part of ongoing recovery efforts, the World Bank is helping individuals and households cushion the shocks of lost income through cash transfers, providing relief to small businesses, and helping countries prepare for the eventual deployment of a vaccine.
Regional
Press releases
- World Bank Surges Support to Address Coronavirus Outbreak in the Middle East and North Africa
- Amid ongoing pandemic, World Bank support to Middle East and North Africa exceeds US$4.75 billion in fiscal year 2021
Publications
- MENA: Trade and Regional Integration are Critical to Economic Recovery in the Post-Covid Era
- MENA Chief Economist’s Office COVID-19 Crisis Tracker
Videos
Blogs and Feature Stories
- COVID-19 inequities in MENA: How data and evidence can help us do better
- A year after patient zero: Essential health services and systems in MENA
- Social protection for all in need: Lessons from the COVID-19 response in MENA by Ferid Belhaj
- MENA: The time to act is now by Ferid Belhaj and Nadir Mohammed
- MENA: It is urgent to rebuild the social contract for post-COVID recovery by Ferid Belhaj and Johannes Hoogeveen
- Coping with a Dual Shock: COVID-19 and Oil Prices
- When the lights go out: How COVID-19 affected cities in the Middle East and North Africa
- Digital transformation in the time of COVID-19: The case of MENA
- A blueprint for a 'green' recovery from COVID-19 for MENA countries
- Going green after COVID-19 will help MENA economies recover better
- Using internet surveys in the MENA region during COVID-19: Will all voices be heard?
- Innovation in responding to coronavirus could pave the way for better learning outcomes in MENA
- Prioritizing jobs during COVID-19 in MENA
- More sunlight in MENA — How transparency can help beat the coronavirus, build hope, and bring prosperity to the region by Ferid Belhaj
- In the battle against coronavirus, distance will not defeat human connections by Ferid Belhaj
Djibouti
Press Releases
Briefs
Egypt
Press Releases
- World Bank Provides US$ 50 million in Support of Coronavirus Emergency Response under new Fast-Track Facility
- Egypt: World Bank Provides US$7.9 Million in Support of Coronavirus Emergency Response
Blogs and Feature Stories
- Building Back Better: Supporting Egypt’s efforts at inclusive recovery
- Given COVID-19, Egypt’s investments in human capital are increasingly crucial
- Egypt: #BacktoSchool brings a new test of "blending learning"
GCC
Blogs and Feature Stories
- COVID-19 has increased the need for investing in Human Capital in the GCC
- Coping with COVID-19 and oil price collapse in the Gulf Cooperation Council
- GCC Countries Back on Path to Economic Growth after Contraction Due to the Pandemic
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait
Iraq
Press Releases
- World Bank deploys US$33.6 million in emergency response to help Iraq face the Coronavirus outbreak
- US$100 Million to Support COVID-19 Vaccination in Iraq
Blogs and Feature Stories
- Can COVID teach us how to build a better education system for all children?
- Despite the restrictions of Coronavirus, small infrastructure projects continue to improve services for Iraqis
- Reconstruction in the time of Coronavirus: Innovation helps improve Iraqi lives
Publications
Jordan
Press Releases
- Jordan: COVID-19 Pandemic Weighs Heavily on the Economy, as It Does on the Region
- US$374 Million to Provide Cash Assistance to Poor and Vulnerable Households in Jordan
- US$8.8 million Top-Up Grant to Support Jordanian Municipalities Scale-up Service Delivery and Deal with the COVID-19 Impact
- World Bank Provides US$100 Million Top-Up Support to Jordan’s Accelerated Education Sector Reforms and Response to COVID-19 Crisis
- US$20 million in Emergency Response to Help Jordan Respond to the Corona Virus Pandemic
Blogs and Feature Stories
- Jordan’s education response to COVID-19: Speed, support, and sustainability
- COVID-19 and digital learning preparedness in Jordan
Lebanon
Press Releases
- World Bank Deploys US$40 Million in Emergency Response to Help Lebanon Face The Coronavirus Outbreak
Morocco
Press Releases
Blogs and Feature Stories
- Morocco: Stepping Up to the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak
- Morocco: A case for building a stronger education system in the post Covid-19 era
Tunisia
Press Releases
- US$175 Million Budget Support for Tunisia to Mitigate the Economic Impact of Covid-19
- World Bank Makes US$35 Million Available to Support Tunisia Through Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis
Blogs and Feature Stories
- Back to school in Tunisia amidst COVID-19
- How can human capital and technology save lives from COVID-19? This young entrepreneur is finding answers
- How the coronavirus affects the poor in Tunisia: First findings
West Bank & Gaza
Press Releases
Blogs and Feature Stories
Videos
Yemen
Press Releases
Briefs
- Restoring Hope, Saving lives: COVID-19 Response Project in Yemen
- Supporting COVID19 Vaccination Rollout in Yemen
Last Updated: Nov 10, 2020
