World Bank Group outlines $170 billion global crisis response package to help developing countries navigate multiple, compounding crises

WASHINGTON, 3rd August, 2022 (WAM) — The World Bank Group (WBG) today announced details of its global crisis response package to help developing countries navigate multiple, compounding crises that are hitting the poor and most vulnerable the hardest.

“Multiple crises – including rising inflation, large macroeconomic imbalances, and the shortages of energy, fertilizer and food – are hammering developing countries” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. “The World Bank Group is responding with speed, scale and impact with financing to respond to food insecurity, protect people, preserve jobs, strengthen resilience, and restore growth.”

Details are set out in a Global Crisis Response Framework paper published today, “Navigating Multiple Crises, Staying the Course on Long-Term Development: The World Bank Group’s Response to the Crises Affecting Developing Countries.” The paper outlines a framework that will guide the WBG’s operational response over the 15-month period from April 2022 to June 2023. This paper follows up on the April 2022 Roadmap Paper, that highlighted that the WBG will make up to $170 billion in financing available over this 15-month period to support developing countries as they navigate these unprecedented crises. The allocation of resources across countries and issues will evolve according to specific needs and the strength of programs that achieve development and support people on the ground.

The crisis response framework includes:

1) Responding to Food Insecurity through supporting production, facilitating trade, supporting the vulnerable and investing in sustainable food systems. This aligns with the WBG response to food insecurity announced on May 18, 2022.

2) Protecting People and Preserving Jobs to help mitigate the medium- to long-term impact of crises.

3) Strengthening Resilience by identifying and supporting paths to build long-term resilience.

4) Strengthening Policies, Institutions and Investments for Rebuilding Better to utilize long-term policies to improve development outcomes.

The framework builds on the lessons learned from responding to the pandemic as well as to past food crises. It acknowledges that these unprecedented crises require a strong, rapid engagement to help countries avoid sliding backward, as well as to stay the course on longer-term development objectives. The WBG’s operations will continue to be underpinned by its Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development (GRID) approach.

Following discussion with shareholders, the framework confirms that the WBG will make available around $170 billion in financing to support this multiple crisis response. Of this, $105 billion will be provided by the World Bank (IBRD and IDA), $48 billion by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and almost $9 billion by the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Association (MIGA). Nearly $9 billion is expected to be financed through trust funds. The WBG has already delivered about $53 billion of this support during April-June 2022, as it stepped up support for food security and continued to deepen its pandemic response.

Financial support is being complemented by analytical, diagnostic and advisory work. The WBG will continue to advocate for and support evidence-based policies and well-tailored development policies and programs. The crisis response will be implemented in close collaboration with client countries and other development partners.