African countries, Mozambique included, call for $100 billion pandemic boost

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African countries, Mozambique included, call for $100 billion pandemic boost

7:58 CAT | 16 Jul 2021

FILE - President Filipe Nyusi also took part in the meeting. [Photo: O País]

Eleven African heads of state called on Thursday for $100 billion in hardship funding to help dig their economies out of the hole caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most African nations have been spared the levels of death and infection caused by the coronavirus in other parts of the world, but lockdowns and reduced travel and trade have thrown sub-Saharan Africa into recession.

The leaders met in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital Abidjan, where they produced a declaration asking for $100 billion for the period of 2022-2025 from the International Development Association (IDA), an arm of the World Bank Group that offers loans and grants to some of the world’s poorest countries.

The funding would be a step up from a previous disbursement of $82 billion agreed in 2019.

“I appeal to our partners to take ownership of this Abidjan declaration and significantly increase their contribution … to fight inequalities and help finance the most vulnerable economies,” Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said in a speech.

The presidents of Guinea, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Togo, Liberia and Madagascar were also part of the meeting.

So far, only 18 million people in Africa, a continent of 1.3 billion, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, deepening fears of a protracted economic slowdown as much of the world re-opens.

Africa recorded a 43% jump in COVID-19 deaths last week as infections and hospital admissions rise and countries face shortages of oxygen and intensive-care beds, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

[NEWS] African Heads of State sign a joint declaration in Abidjan emphasizing importance of economic recovery, jobs, human capital + vaccines in the region—and calling for an ambitious #IDA20 replenishment to accelerate #COVID19 recovery. https://t.co/0d6qXQ8AF5 #IDAworks4Africa pic.twitter.com/vc13qHJjhk

— World Bank (@WorldBank) July 15, 2021

#ida2021 : Ouverture ce matin à Abidjan par le Président de la république SEM Alassane Ouattara la Conférence de reconstitution des ressources de l’IDA-20, l’objectif est de mobiliser au moins 135 milliards de dollars pour les pays pauvres d’Afrique.

#IDA20 pic.twitter.com/3ALQ4KypjL

— IVOIRIEN225 🇨🇮 (@Ivoiren225) July 15, 2021

IDA has been a trusted partner in Africa for six decades and stands ready to step up + continue supporting a resilient recovery from COVID-19 in the region. #IDAworks4Africa #IDA20 https://t.co/IAJIaHWQ66

— IDA – World Bank Group (@WBG_IDA) July 15, 2021

Source: Reuters