07/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/24/2024 11:20
Expanded ambition and partnership with the G20 Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty to reach at least 500 million people in need
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 24, 2024 - The World Bank Group today unveiled a comprehensive package of initiatives to address urgent poverty and hunger, and enable vulnerable people to increase earnings, enhance resilience against climate shocks, and promote empowerment for women and girls.
The World Bank Group announced:
"Put simply: hunger and poverty are intertwined. We need to take them on and work hard to rid our world of both," said Ajay Banga, World Bank Group President. "Our social protection programs are aimed at putting meals on the table, protecting livelihoods, and helping poor families pay for basic health services and education for their children. Achieving this ambition will require strong collaboration among countries and partners such as the Global Alliance, to share knowledge and boost financing."
As part of the initiative, the International Development Association (IDA), the Bank's fund for those most in need, will make financing available for countries to use on policies that respond to hunger and poverty. IDA already is the main source of grant and concessional funding to fight poverty and hunger.
According to figures released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 700 million people across the world face hunger. The World Bank Group will continue to tailor interventions based on countries' specific needs, using a mix of social protection programs that have proven to help poor families gain a decent livelihood and overcome abject poverty and hunger. Those include basic income support, access to seed capital, savings and training, coaching and mentoring. Building on the latest evidence, it will also leverage social protection as a tool to address adverse climate impacts and advance gender equality. The World Bank Knowledge Academy will work closely with countries to share these evidence-based solutions.
Contacts:
In Washington: David Young; +1 (202) 250 0395, [email protected]
For Broadcast Requests: Kristyn Schrader-King +1 (202) 458 2736, [email protected]