World Bank approves USD 84 mln to support Afghan urban areas

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved Wednesday a USD 84 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA) for the Afghanistan Community Resilience and Livelihoods Project. With this additional financing, the project will scale up activities in more rural and urban areas, provide more livelihood opportunities for women, expand activities focused on building climate resilience, and provide employment and services to returning Afghan migrants, said the bank in a statement. The project started in 2022 with a grant of USD 265 million from the Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund (ARTF) to provide livelihood support and services in rural and urban areas, support social grants for women and the most vulnerable, and strengthen community institutions for inclusive service delivery. "In the past 18 months, the project has laid the foundation for an effective service delivery platform and operational model at scale for delivering jobs, providing essential services and assets, and, imp ortantly, reaching women," said the World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan, Melinda Good. "With the additional financing, the project will continue its essential works in all six regions of the country, 26 of the 34 provinces, 67 rural districts, 6,200 rural communities, and eight major cities," she added. Source: Kuwait News Agency