Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): African Development Bank approves an envelope of nearly $ 142 million to support the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo has so far recorded 271 victims of the virus, according to the WHO, and the Central African country has suffered the economic consequences of the pandemic.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) approved, on 23 September in Abidjan, financial support of 100 million Unit of Account (approximately 142 million dollars) to the Democratic Republic of Congo, under the Budget Support Program in Response to the Covid-19 Crisis (PABRC). This envelope, which includes a loan and an African Development Fund (ADF) grant of $ 43.6 million and $ 60.6 million respectively as well as a grant from the Transition Support Facility (TAF) of $ 37.8 million is important support in a difficult context where the economic performance indicators of the DRC have been disrupted by the pandemic. This support will above all help to mitigate the economic impact of the virus in order to promote the country's recovery. 

According to Solomane Koné, acting director general of the Bank for Central Africa, “the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in a relatively peaceful phase of political transition and faces challenges, including that of reviving economic growth and fighting against poverty. 

The country needs strong and coordinated support from partners. This support will help strengthen the economic and social resilience of populations in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. " The envelope, which comes from the Covid-19 Rapid Response Facility (CRF) set up by the Bank and endowed with a $ 10 billion fund, is intended to support the DRC in its response against new coronavirus. The provinces of Kinshasa, North Kivu, Kongo Central, Haut Katanga, South Kivu, Ituri and Lualaba, which account for the bulk of contamination cases, will benefit from a greater deployment of the response system against Covid-19. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has so far recorded 271 victims of the virus, according to the WHO, and the Central African country has suffered the economic repercussions of the pandemic which has spared no country on the continent. 

As part of this operation, the African Development Bank joined forces with development partners such as the IMF, the World Bank and the French Development Agency, to take concerted action in the face of the pandemic. Last June, the Bank mobilized $ 13 million for the six member countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and the DRC. The aim was to provide health kits, screening kits and medical ambulances. It was also planned to train community agents and sensitize the populations.

Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor

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