By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The World Bank Group has approved for disbursement, the sum of $150m to assist Mozambique recover from the February Cyclone Freddy that hit the Southern African country.
Freddy is said to be one of the deadliest storms to hit the African continent in the past two decades.
It ripped through Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar, first in late February, before circling back and making landfall again in March.
No fewer than 1,000 people were reported dead in the region.
“Our priority is to support the Government to respond to this emergency quickly and ensure that the people affected by yet another cyclone can recover as soon as possible,” Xavier Chavana, the lender’s disaster risk management specialist in Mozambique, said in a statement.
The World Bank said the money would help the Mozambican government to restore transport infrastructure and provide services, including water, sanitation, healthcare, and education.
The funds are drawn from the World Bank’s existing projects in Mozambique and are separate from the $300m grant it approved in July.
“The money consists of $100m in grant money and $50m in credit extended by the bank.”
The cyclone in March pummelled central Mozambique, destroying buildings and bringing widespread flooding around the port of Quelimane before moving inland towards Malawi, where it unleashed torrential rains that caused landslides.
