WB provides cash assistance to poor, vulnerable households in Jordan

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Fri, 26 Jun 2020 - 11:19 GMT

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Fri, 26 Jun 2020 - 11:19 GMT

File - World Bank- REUTERS

File - World Bank- REUTERS

AMMAN - 26 June 2020: The World Bank (WB) Group’s Board of Executive Directors approved a US $374 million project to provide cash support to 270,000 poor and vulnerable households, including those who recently lost their source of income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan.

The COVID 19 pandemic has substantially weakened Jordan’s near-term growth prospects. Jordanian households are feeling the impact of this economic shock mainly through job losses and reduced earnings, according to the website of the WB.

Informal workers are being particularly impacted and have no access to formal social protection schemes.

“In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the World Bank mobilized resources to help Jordan face the health impacts of the pandemic,” said Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank Mashreq Regional Director.

“This new project aims to help Jordan address the social and economic repercussions of the crisis as a result of shrinking job markets, wage cuts and reduced income levels. Providing emergency cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households, including female headed households, is key to enable them to weather the crisis and preserve resilience and social stability.”

“To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on formal sector workers, the Government of Jordan has swiftly introduced exceptional measures mandating firms to keep their workers, setting restrictions on wage cuts and providing liquidity and exemptions to firms,” said Dr. Wissam Rabadi, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation.

“The Government has also adopted an ambitious national program to protect poor and vulnerable households affected by the COVID-19 crisis through the National Aid Fund (NAF), Jordan’s leading agency for cash transfers to the poor.”

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