An-Najah News - The World Bank said in a press statement that the West Bank Emergency Social Protection COVID-19 Response Projects are  approved  with US$30 million to support short-term employment opportunities to vulnerable populations in the West Bank affected by COVID-19.

This aid will target both the new poor who lost their incomes as a result of the pandemic and families that have lived in poverty already prior to the COVID-19 outbreak but are now struggling even more.

The new project will build on efforts of past and ongoing projects, making use of their proven platforms to accurately target the poor and vulnerable households. 

US$20 million for emergency cash transfer will benefit a total of 89,400 poor households affected by the COVID-19 crisis based on the well-targeted and scalable program of the ongoing Cash Transfer Project, including 68,000 newly registered households. I

n addition, the new project will finance the funding gap for 21,400 households already registered to ensure that beneficiaries will be able to cover their basic needs and won’t fall further into poverty. 

The US$8 million allocated for the cash for work program will build on a delivery platform already developed in Gaza that involves providing short-term employment opportunities through NGOs in sectors with a high return in social services. 

The proposed cash for work intervention in the West Bank will use similar methods and will employ more than 3,000 beneficiaries, of which at least 50% will be women.