The World Bank approved $143 million in International Development Assistance (IDA)* financing to help the vulnerable citizens of Somalia overcome the escalating drought and food insecurity conditions across the country.
This additional financing to the existing Somalia Shock Responsive Safety Net for Human Capital Project (SNHCP), also known as Baxnaano (which means to uplift in Somali), will provide an extra boost to the country’s drought response and ensure the continuity of a regular safety net program which delivers much-needed cash assistance to chronically poor and vulnerable households.
“The situation is heartbreaking, and the World Bank is doing all it can within the current programming to protect the most vulnerable at this time of great need. We are leveraging partnerships with humanitarian actors in order to alleviate the situation before we lose more lives and livelihoods,” Kristina Svensson, World Bank Country Manager for Somalia.
The additional financing will expand coverage of the parent project by 20,000 households. It will also provide emergency cash transfers to 338,000 households, adding to the 160,000 households who are already receiving emergency cash transfers from the Shock Responsive Safety Net for Locust Response Project (SNLRP). The government’s safety net program is implemented in partnership with United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP).
“It is very encouraging to see that the Baxnaano program is capable of adapting rapidly in response to the crisis. As of early June, emergency cash transfers have been delivered to over 243,000 households across the country through the program,” Afrah Alawi Al-Ahmadi, World Bank Senior Social Protection Specialist.
The World Bank is also leveraging several existing projects to strengthen Somalia’s drought response. Through Baxnaano, the World Bank will support nearly 500,000 households to weather the ongoing drought. The number of people dependent on humanitarian assistance and protection is forecast to rise to 7.7 million people in 2022, with an estimated 3 million internally displaced persons and nearly 70%of the population living below the international poverty line.
Read also; IMF Delays Credit Deadline for Somalia by 3 Months.
