The World Bank has extended its support for food security and the resilience of food systems to the benefit of an additional 2.8 million people, said a press release from the international financial institution. This approach is explained by the demand for long-term solutions.
Five new African countries will benefit from funding under the second and third phases of the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP) for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The Board of Directors of the World Bank Group has approved $903 million in financing from the International Development Association (IDA) for Comoros ($40 million), Kenya ($150 million), Malawi ($250 million), Somalia ($150 million), Tanzania ($300 million) and the African Union Commission ($13 million).
“The addition of five countries is a response to the constant demand for long-term solutions offered by the Food Systems Resilience Programme. Studies show that proactive investments in building resilience not only pay off, but also minimize the costs of emergency relief and post-disaster recovery,” said Victoria Kwakwa, Vice President of the Bank. for Eastern and Southern Africa, cited in the press release.
“As more countries are expected to join the program, we are grateful to our Board of Directors for agreeing to increase the overall envelope of the FSRP program from $2.3 billion to 2, $75 billion,” added the Vice President.
The Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP) helps participating countries build the resilience of their food systems by prioritizing medium-term investments.
It also supports these countries to rebuild their productive capacity, improve the management of their natural resources, strengthen food value chains and access to markets, and improve policies, national and regional, to strengthen the resilience of the sector.
Launched in June 2022, the first phase of the program provides support to Ethiopia and Madagascar, as well as two regional bodies. The program is expected to reach five million direct beneficiaries in the first three phases.
The World Bank estimates that 73 million people in the region face acute food insecurity due to multiple shocks ranging from extreme weather, pests and disease outbreaks to political and market instability and conflict.