World Bank disburses additional $500M to help Ukraine meet urgent needs

The World Bank has announced the disbursement of an additional $500 million to help Ukraine meet urgent spending needs caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The relevant statement was made by Reuters, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“The financing by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the bank’s main lending arm, was supported by $500 million in loan guarantees from Britain that were announced on Sept. 30,” the World Bank’s statement reads.

It comes on the eve of a recovery conference taking place in Berlin on Tuesday, where national leaders, development experts and CEOs will discuss how to rebuild Ukraine after Russia’s invasion.

 “The Russian invasion continues to cause massive destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure – including water, sanitation, and electricity networks – just as winter is approaching, further endangering Ukrainian people,” World Bank Group President David Malpass noted in a statement.

The new portion of financing will be used to maintain essential government services.

“We stand firmly to support the Ukrainian people as they face this unparalleled crisis,” the World Bank added.

The World Bank has mobilized a total of $13 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine, of which $11.4 billion has been fully disbursed.

Source: ukrinform.net