The World Bank has granted Zambia $208 million to assist in mitigating the social and economic impacts of a severe drought affecting the southern African nation, announced the finance ministry on Tuesday.
The current severe drought in Southern Africa is primarily caused by a combination of natural El Nino events, resulting from warmer Pacific waters affecting global weather patterns, and heightened average temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions.
Due to the severe drought impacting food production and livelihoods for millions, Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe have all declared a state of disaster.
The $208 million grant from the World Bank aims to help Zambia respond effectively by providing additional temporary cash payments to affected households.
Zambia’s finance ministry announced that the grant will support more than 1.6 million households across 84 drought-affected districts with emergency cash assistance over the course of 12 months.
According to the ministry, the World Bank financing will enhance current social protection programs.
Additionally, last month, the International Monetary Fund’s board approved Zambia’s request to raise its financial support from $1.3 billion to $1.7 billion, aimed at assisting the nation in addressing the drought’s impact.
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