The World Bank Board of Executive
Directors has approved a new financing agreement of US$10 million
International Development Association (IDA) credit to provide income
support to extremely poor and food insecure households in Liberia. This
agreement will also establish key building blocks of a basic national
safety net delivery system of Liberia.
According to a World Bank press release
from Washington, the Liberia Social Safety Nets Project (LSSNP) will
directly benefit 10,000 extremely poor and food insecure households in
four of Liberia’s most food insecure counties: Bomi, Maryland, Grand Kru
and River Gee. Also, the LSSNP will indirectly benefit all households
that will be captured in the Social Registry, who would be potential
beneficiaries of other safety net programs.
World Bank Liberia Country Manager
Inguna Dobraja says: “The Social Safety Nets Project focuses on
delivering cash transfers to the poorest households in Liberia and
providing accompanying measures to support their food security.” Madam
Dobraja added: “the project will place emphasis on addressing
vulnerability and reducing poverty in the targeted project areas.”
The project would carry out cash
transfers, and also implement accompanying measures promoting the
growing of quick and high yielding nutritious food through home
gardening. Additionally, it will provide support for increasing
awareness on improved nutrition among targeted households as a means of
reducing vulnerability. Liberia has a high degree of malnutrition among
children and the lack of dietary diversity in the most food insecure and
chronically poor households. These accompanying measures will encourage
beneficiary households to improve consumption and invest in the human
development of their families, particularly young children, as well as
pregnant women and lactating mothers.
The LSSNP will also provide support for
further developing Liberia’s long term systems building in the larger
social protection sector. It will contribute to increased efficiency and
accountability in the delivery of social services through the creation
of a national Social Registry that seeks to collect information on all
poor households in Liberia.
“The Liberia Social Safety Nets Project
marks a significant step forward in the support to long-term recovery
and resilience building for communities affected by shocks in the
Liberia,” said Suleiman Namara, Task Team Leader. “The systems
developed under this project will help make social protection
interventions better targeted, more accessible, as well as strengthen
coordination of service delivery.”
The project will be implemented by the
Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with
the ministries of Health and Agriculture. Further support will be
provided by Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information
Services, and Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission.
* The World Bank’s International
Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s
poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for
projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and
improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of
assistance for the world’s 77 poorest countries, 39 of which are in
Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.3 billion
people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported
development work in 112 countries. Annual commitments have averaged
about $19 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent going
to Africa.
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