In response to the escalating global food crisis, the World Bank has significantly increased its financial commitment, now pledging $45 billion to address food insecurity, particularly in Africa.
This substantial increase surpasses the initial $30 billion commitment over 15 months, reflecting the urgent need for intervention.
According to the latest update released on Monday, the World Bank’s enhanced food and nutrition security portfolio now covers 90 countries, with a dual focus on immediate relief and long-term resilience. This includes expanding social protection programs and promoting climate-smart agriculture to boost productivity.
In Africa, the World Bank’s initiatives are expected to impact millions, especially focusing on women who are disproportionately affected by food insecurity.
“The Bank’s intervention is expected to benefit 335 million people, equivalent to 44% of the number of undernourished people. Around 53% of the beneficiaries are women – they are disproportionately more affected by the crisis,” the update states.
One of the major initiatives is the $2.75 billion Food Systems Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa, designed to enhance the resilience of the region’s food systems and address growing food insecurity. Currently in its third phase, this program aims to improve inter-agency food crisis response and support medium- and long-term efforts for resilient agricultural production and sustainable natural resource development.
Similarly, the $766 million West Africa Food Systems Resilience Program is focusing on improving preparedness against food insecurity and enhancing the resilience of food systems. This program includes increasing digital advisory services for agriculture, boosting adaptation capacity of agricultural systems, and investing in regional food market integration and trade to improve food security.
Additionally, a $345 million investment is being prepared for Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo to further bolster regional efforts.
In specific countries, the World Bank’s interventions are tailored to address unique challenges. In Malawi, a $95 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) aims to commercialize select agricultural value chains and provide an immediate response to crises or emergencies.
Meanwhile, in Madagascar, a $200 million IDA grant seeks to improve decentralized service delivery, upgrade water supply, restore landscapes, and strengthen the resilience of food and livelihood systems in the drought-prone ‘Grand Sud’ region.
Moreover, the $175 million Sahel Irrigation Initiative Regional Support Project is enhancing the resilience and productivity of agricultural and pastoral activities across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.
This project is benefiting more than 130,000 farmers and pastoral community members through small and medium-sized irrigation initiatives and is developing a portfolio of bankable irrigation projects covering around 68,000 hectares, particularly in the Sahel region.
With these comprehensive interventions, the World Bank aims to significantly mitigate the impacts of the global food crisis, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and improving food security across Africa and other affected regions.