The World Bank has approved a $30 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA) to support the Adaptive and Productive Social Safety Nets Project in the Central African Republic (CAR). The initiative aims to enhance social protection for impoverished and vulnerable families in specific regions and improve the responsiveness of delivery systems to shocks.
“Boosting social safety nets in CAR is essential to develop its human capital and strengthen the social contract,” stated Guido Rurangwa, World Bank’s Country Manager for CAR. “The Adaptive and Productive Social Safety Nets Project will empower the most vulnerable and give them the opportunity for better health and education, and a better quality of life for their families.”
The project will be executed in two regions with high poverty levels and susceptibility to climate change: Kagas and Haut-Oubangui. These areas have poverty incidence rates of 78.60% and 84.65%, respectively. Approximately 45,000 households are expected to benefit from regular safety net transfers and training aimed at enhancing human capital and enabling responses to climate shocks.
The project anticipates increasing safety net coverage by three to four percent annually during its implementation, beginning with the most accessible communes within selected prefectures. This intervention is also expected to contribute to conflict prevention and community stabilization.
*The International Development Association (IDA) is part of the World Bank Group that provides grants and low- or zero-interest loans for projects aimed at economic growth, poverty reduction, and improving lives in the world’s poorest countries. Established in 1960, IDA focuses on supporting development work in 113 countries, with a significant portion of resources allocated to Africa.*