Wednesday, December 15, 2010

World Bank announces record donations of 50 billion dollars

The World Bank has announced a record for money pledged that will go to the poorest nations. The Bank has over 50 billion dollars that it will loan out over the next four years. The 50 billion will all go to a branch of the bank called the International Development Association. The IDA distributes grants or no-interest loans to the poorest nations of the world.

From this AFP article that we found at Google News, we find out more about this announcement from the bank. A post on this topic yesterday mentioned the reforms that NGOs wanted from the IDA before the new round of lending begins.

The pledges to the International Development Association (IDA) for 2011 to 2014 -- 18 percent higher than the last round -- will help immunise 200 million children, offer health services to over 30 million people and give access to improved water to another 80 million, the bank said in a statement.

The announcement was made in Brussels after a meeting of the IDA's main donors, who meet every three years to review policies and replenish its coffers.

The fund is one of the world's largest sources of aid for 79 poor nations, 39 of them in Africa.

A total 51 donors, including China, contributed to the IDA round, which set up a special crisis response fund that will include a special allocation for earthquake-hit Haiti.

European Union countries contributed 43 percent of the total -- well below the 85 billion euros used to bail out Ireland and its banks by the bloc and the IMF.

Since its creation in 1960 the IDA fund has provided more than 220 billion dollars, averaging 14 billion annually over the last two years, with around 20 percent of funding provided as grants, the remainder in interest-free long-term credits, often stretching 35-40 years, including a 10-year grace period.

1 comment:

jessah gomez said...

this has always been the world bank's program to donate money to poor countries without interest. hope this will go into a proper allocation program or to say to be use where the purpose is. it's very likely to happen again just like before.