The World Bank on Friday announced a one billion US dollar social protection package for India to aid the country’s efforts to fight the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.
This $1 billion social protection package would be linked to the government programmes and schemes launched to aid the vulnerable section of the population, hard-hit amid the pandemic.
Reports quoted Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director for India as saying, “Social distancing has led to a slowdown of the economy. The Government of India has focused on Garib Kalyan Yojna to help protect the poor and vulnerable as a bridge between health interventions are happening and where the economy can be revived.”
The Word Bank will partner with the Central Government in three areas – health, social protection and the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Junaid Ahmad was also quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, a few days ago the World Bank announced that they were ready to launch a new multi-donor trust fund, in the wake of a public health crisis, to help developing countries get better prepared for disease outbreaks.
The new Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Multi-Donor Fund (HEPRF) will be in addition to the earlier announced support of up to $160 billion of financing it will provide for 15 months to support COVID-19 measures.
The country on Friday recorded 81,970 cornavirus cases and with 100 more deaths and 3,967 fresh cases being reported in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.
The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 51,401 as 27,919 people were cured and discharged, and one patient migrated, the ministry said.