Washington, MINA – The World Bank approved 30 million US dollar grant for cash assistance and short-term employment opportunities for vulnerable populations in the West Bank who are being affected by Covid-19.
The World Bank said the Covid-19 Emergency Protection Response Project in the West Bank will target both underprivileged citizens and those who have recently lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
“Social protection is a priority for the World Bank in the context of increasing poverty and job loss,” Kanthan Shankar, World Bank Country Director for the West Bank and Gaza said, WAFA reported.
“This new project aims to reduce the impact of shocks on workers and families through protecting income and providing alternative jobs for those who have lost their jobs,” he added.
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This new project will build on the efforts of past and ongoing projects targeting poor households.
There were US $ 20 million in emergency cash assistance benefiting 89,400 families affected by the Covid-19 crisis, including 68,000 newly registered families and financing the funding gap for 21,400 families registered as recipients to meet their basic needs.
A total of eight million US dollars allocated to the cash for work program will be built on a shipping platform that has been developed in Gaza which involves providing short-term employment opportunities through NGOs in sectors with high returns in social services.
The cash interventions for work proposed in the West Bank will use a similar method and will employ more than 3,000 recipients, 50 percent of whom are women.
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Capacity building is another key activity supported by the project, which will help the West Bank build resilience to reduce the impact of future shocks, including those related to climate change. (T/R7/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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