US$6.2m grant will support Pacific nation¡¯s response to Tropical Cyclone Tino
SYDNEY, February 5, 2020 ¨C ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº has provided US$6.2 million to support Tuvalu¡¯s recovery from Tropical Cyclone Tino, which hit the Pacific island nation in January.
Category Three Tropical Cyclone Tino brought gale-force winds and flooding, causing widespread damage, including to critical infrastructure and public facilities. The Government of Tuvalu estimates that half of the country¡¯s population have been severely affected by the cyclone¡¯s impacts.
The US$6m grant will support Tuvalu¡¯s response and recovery efforts, including restoration of critical services. It has been delivered as part of a World Bank-supported operation, approved in December 2019, to strengthen Tuvalu¡¯s resilience, which included a Catastrophe-Deferred Drawdown Option for a US$6m emergency grant in the event of a major disaster of emergency.
¡°We¡¯re pleased to be able to provide this immediate support to Tuvalu in the aftermath of Cyclone Tino,¡± said Michel Kerf, World Bank Country Director for Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. ¡°We are also acutely aware that the risks of climate-related events like Cyclone Tino will continue to pose a significant risk to the Pacific.
¡°With this in mind, we¡¯re steadfast in our commitment to helping the region strengthen its climate resilience, both in the short term, and for the years ahead.¡±
The emergency grant funding is from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank¡¯s fund for the most in-need countries. The operation also benefits from technical assistance from the ADB and the governments of Australia, New Zealand and the European Union (EU).
ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº currently has six active projects in Tuvalu totaling US$106 million across sectors including aviation and transport, climate resilience, energy and electricity, fisheries and telecommunications.
Contacts:
Sydney: Tom Perry, +61 404 460 330, tperry@worldbank.org
