Five African countries to receive $160.5m grant to boost food security, reduce poverty

Burundi, the Gambia, Malawi, Senegal, and Tanzania will receive a total amount of $160.5 million grant to enable them increase food security, raise rural incomes, and reduce poverty.

The funds are part of a $177 million grant to six countries announced May 24, 2012 on the World Bank’s website by partners of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP). The GAFSP is a fund that supports country-led efforts to fight hunger and poverty.

Based on their country proposals, the Steering Committee of the Programme allocated $30 million to Burundi; $28 million for The Gambia and Malawi will receive $39.6 million.

Senegal and Tanzania will get $40 million and $22.9 million respectively.

The Kyrgyz Republic was allocated $16.5 million by the GAFSP to support the country’s irrigation and drainage systems projects.

This is the fourth round of countries to receive funding and the Committee defended the country selections saying “The successful country proposals were selected through a competitive process by the fund’s Steering Committee.”

Launched in April 2010, the GAFSP has received pledges of $1.1 billion from Australia, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, and the United States.

By Ekow Quandzie