International financial institutions, the World Bank and the African Development Bank have jointly launched a cumulative US$ 96.7 million to go towards rebuilding public infrastructure and food supply to Chimanimani communities under the Zimbabwe Idai Recovery Project (ZIRP) and the Idai Emergency Recovery and Resilience Project (IERRP) respectively.
The funds will be managed by United Nations Office for Project services (UNOPS).
The World Bank funded ZIRP has an injection of US$ 72 million and will run for three years with focus on restoration of community infrastructure in the affected regions of Manicaland and parts of Masvingo.
Of the total, US$ 40 million will be channeled towards food importation for the disaster-struck communities.
On the other hand, the Africa Development Bank has set aside US$ 24.7 million for public infrastructure such as building of roads and bridges, electricity restoration and telecommunication infrastructure development in Chipinge and Chimanimani.
“Given the magnitude of the damages caused by the Cyclone, we mobilized additional resources to aid. Specifically, in the reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure,” ADB regional director, Kapil Kapoor said at the launch.
On the 14th of March this year, Cyclone Idai hit hard east of Zimbabwe, displacing hundreds of thousand people from their homes and thousands more killed.
Total destruction of property and infrastructure is estimated to have been in the region of US$ 671 million.
Government has collaborated relief and resilient support through multi-agency cooperation.
“This will help in strengthening institutions that will also help the country to be ready for the next disaster, be it a cyclone or a drought,” World Bank regional director, Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez said.
The country needs close to a US$ 1 billion in assistance to restore livelihoods in disaster hit areas of Chimanimani, Chipinge and parts of Masvingo province.
