CAIRO (Reuters) – The World Bank has agreed to provide the U.N.’s World Food Programme with $100 million for an “emergency safety net project” to address food insecurity in Sudan, it said in a statement on Thursday.
The programme, whose funding comes from the European Union, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and several other Western nations, aims to provide 2 million Sudanese with cash transfers and food.
Following a coup in October, the World Bank suspended its disbursements for operations in Sudan, and the projects’ funds will be funnelled through the WFP directly, it said.
“While funding under agreements signed with the Government of Sudan remains paused, development partners are pleased to provide direct support to the Sudanese people during this critical time,” said the World Bank’s country director, Ousmane Dione.
The WFP earlier this year estimated that the number of people experiencing crisis and emergency levels of hunger will reach 18 million by September in Sudan, a country of about 45 million.
(Reporting by Nafisa ElTahir; Editing by Leslie Adler)
