The World Bank announced that it is working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO), with the Government and other key partners, on the Ebola Crisis Response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Central to this partnership is the assessment of the financing needs, and deployment of resources, with the goal to put an end to the current deadly outbreak.
The World Bank said $50 million in funding will go to WHO for its lifesaving operational work on the frontlines of the outbreak. The WHO said the money will close the financing gap for its emergency health response in DRC through to the end of September 2019 and is calling on other partners to mirror this generous support in order to fund the response through to December.
The funding comprises $30 million from the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) and $20 million from the World Bank. The $50 million in grant funding is part of the larger financial package of approximately $300 million that the World Bank announced last month to support the fourth Strategic Response Plan for the DRC Ebola outbreak.
The DRC government, working in collaboration with the World Bank, WHO, and other key partners, has finalized the Fourth Strategic Response Plan (SRP4), which outlines the total resources needed for the DRC Ebola Crisis Response from July to December 2019. The financing announced today is part of the World Bank’s previously announced financial package of up to $300 million and covers over half of SRP4’s needs, with the remainder requiring additional funding from other donors and partners.
The Government of DRC requested $30 million from the PEF Cash Window to be paid directly to WHO. The PEF Steering Body approved the request bringing the PEF’s total contribution to fighting Ebola in DRC to $61.4 million. The PEF is a financing mechanism housed at the World Bank; its Steering Body is co-chaired by the World Bank and WHO, and comprises donor country members from Japan, Germany and Australia. The quick and flexible financing it provides saves lives, by enabling governments and international responders to concentrate on fighting Ebola—not fundraising.
