World Bank approves $85m clean water financing in Afghanistan

The World Bank has approved two grants totaling nearly $85 million from the International Development Association as part of a $393 million financial package to help Afghanistan alleviate COVID-19 impacts and improve access to clean water, sanitation, and public services.

The financial packages comprise: $50 million from IDA for the Afghanistan Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Institutional Support Project. The grant will total $200 million, including $150 million from the ARTF. The project will improve access to and quality of water supply in Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat and strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation to deliver sustainable services and contribute to national efforts to manage COVID-19 and other disasters.

And $35 million for the Second Additional Financing of the Citizens' Charter Afghanistan Project. The grant will total $193 million, including $158 million from the  Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, a multi-donor fund managed by the World Bank on behalf of 34 donors. The project aims to improve the delivery of core infrastructure, emergency support, and social services to communities through strengthened Community Development Councils. Under the Second Additional Financing, the Citizens' Charter Project will expand its service delivery to ten new cities across Afghanistan, continue to respond to the COVID-19 crisis among communities, provide critical assistance to Kuchi communities, increase employment through public works, initiate peace pilots in rural and urban areas, and continue to strengthen gender equality.