Kinshasa, June 13th, 2021 (CPA) .- The World Bank Group approved, on Sunday, US $ 250 million for the Project for the stabilization of eastern DRC for peace (STEP 3), in order to ‘Help improve access to livelihoods and socio-economic infrastructure in vulnerable communities in the DRC, said a statement from this institution received the same day at the CPA.
“This new funding provides an opportunity to invest in human capital in an integrated manner, encompassing education, health and social protection, to ensure the well-being of refugees and host communities. Complementing its successful model of social safety nets, the project will leverage its reputation, experience and resources to meet social infrastructure needs in vulnerable communities, increasing access to health and education services. , and strengthening policy dialogue on integrating refugees into national systems. « , Explained Jean-Christophe Carret, Director of World Bank operations for the DRC, Burundi, Angola and Sao-Tomé-Et-Principe.
According to the statement, funding granted today by the International Development Association (IDA) for STEP 3 will provide additional support to the DRC government to address the combined effects of the COVID-19 crisis and a new influx of refugees, building on IDA Window 19 for Host Communities and Refugees (WHR).
The project will be scaled up to protect human capital in communities hosting large numbers of refugees, recovering from the 2018-2020 Ebola crisis and / or rebuilding physical and human capital after conflict.
The immediate task is to strengthen the project in North Ubangui and extend it to Sud-Ubangui, two extremely poor provinces where large numbers of refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) have recently arrived. These refugee reception areas are also seeing their pre-existing vulnerability worsened by the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
In addition, STEP is the main supported social protection instrument that the World Bank supports to respond to the overlapping crises in the country.
Since its start in 2014, the project has rehabilitated more than 870 community infrastructures, provided 45,000 households with improved agro-pastoral technologies, and enabled the capacity building of nearly 5,000 members of local development committees. It has also provided work opportunities for vulnerable people by providing more than 1.3 million days of temporary work.
The International Development Association (IDA) is the World Bank institution that helps the world’s poorest countries.
Founded in 1960, it provides grants and loans at low or interest-free rates for projects and programs likely to stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty and improve the lives of the poorest. ACP/