A year ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, I was optimistic about the trends in global 
poverty: extreme poverty rates had been steadily declining for more than two decades. Although considerable challenges like debt still loomed large for the poorest countries, the positive trajectory in the fight against poverty brought great hope for a better future—a future I still believe in.
Tag Archives: IDA
IDA and the Private Sector Join Forces to Fight the Pandemic in the Most Fragile Countries
March 2020 global poverty update from the World Bank: New poverty estimates for 2018
The March 2020 global poverty update added more than 200 new surveys to PovcalNet,
Table 1. Poverty estimates for reference year 2018, different poverty lines
bringing the total number of surveys to more than 1,900. New poverty estimates for the reference year 2018 are now included for some regions, and the previously published global and regional estimates from 1981 to 2015 have been revised, reflecting data revisions and the availability of new data. More details on the revisions can be found in Atamanov et al. (2020).
World Bank Group Announces Up to $12 Billion Immediate Support for COVID-19 Country Response
As COVID-19 reaches more than 60 countries, the World Bank Group is making available 
an initial package of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak. This financing is designed to help member countries take effective action to respond to and, where possible, lessen the tragic impacts posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Through this new fast track package, the World Bank Group will help developing countries strengthen health systems, including better access to health services to safeguard people from the epidemic, strengthen disease surveillance, bolster public health interventions, and work with the private sector to reduce the impact on economies. The financial package, with financing drawn from across IDA, IBRD and IFC, will be globally coordinated to support country-based responses.
Developing countries want more action on climate: The World Bank is stepping up
By Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Managing
Director of Operations
Director of Operations
I have read the many reports that summarize the dire state of the climate and our planet’s worsening prospects. I know the hard statistics docum
enting rising temperatures, the increasing intensity of natural disasters and warmer seas. I have been meeting with representatives from developing countries who have one request:
The learning crisis requires a new approach
For most children, turning 10 is an exciting moment. They’re learning more about the 
world and expanding their horizons. But too many children – more than half of all 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries – cannot read and understand a simple story. That is unacceptable.
Putting biodiversity at the heart of IDA’s work
When people talk about biodiversity, it is often through the lens of conservation and the
survival of animal and plant species. But the value drawn from a healthy biosphere is much more than that – it delivers a steady supply of food, water, jobs and livelihoods and helps to regulate climate.
Our oceans are overfished and polluted with plastic; 1 million plant and animal species (out of 8 million) face extinction within decades, according to the latest scientific assessments, and deforestation and soil degradation have reached epic levels.
Global Community Renews Commitment to the World’s Poorest Countries with $82 Billion
PRESS RELEASE NO: 2020/083/DFI
STOCKHOLM, December 13, 2019 — A global coalition of development partners announced today their commitment to maintain momentum in the fight against extreme poverty, with $82 billion for the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest. The financing, which includes more than $53 billion for Africa, will help countries invest in the needs of their people, boost economic growth, and bolster resilience to climate shocks and natural disasters.
Now is the time to invest in South Asia’s future
A few years ago, Binita Biswokarma’s life took a sharp turn for the worse.
With no skills, relatives, or farmland, the young woman from Kaski, a rural district in West Nepal, struggled to provide for her son’s education, buy food and necessities, let alone repair the roof of her home.
Then came an opportunity to work as a road maintenance worker—and find a way out of poverty.
Impact investing with the World Bank. How to make a difference – the case of IDA
For over 70 years, the World Bank Group has successfully raised funds in the capital 
markets to invest in development projects. Through its arm for middle-income countries, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the World Bank Group funded public sector projects like roads, green energy, health or education systems; and through the International Finance Corporation (IFC), it provided capital to the private sector in developing countries to help businesses grow and provide jobs, taxes and other wider societal benefits.
