World Bank’s DRR work in the MENA region:

World Bank’s mandate:

The World Bank Group has two ambitious goals: end extreme poverty within a generation and boost shared prosperity. It offers support to developing countries through policy advice, research and analysis, and technical assistance. It supports capacity development and sponsors, hosts, or participates in many conferences and forums on issues of development, often in collaboration with partners. See this link for its MENA regional priorities and strategy, structured around 4 pillars:

·         Renewing the social contract – to generate a new development model that is built on greater citizen trust; more effective protection of the poor and vulnerable; inclusive and accountable service delivery; and a stronger private sector that can create jobs and opportunities for MENA’s youth;

·         Regional cooperation – particularly around regional public goods and sectors such as education, water, and energy so as to foster greater trust and collaboration across MENA countries;

·         Resilience – to refugee and migration shocks by promoting the welfare of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities by focusing on building trust and building their assets; and

·         Reconstruction and recovery – through a dynamic approach that brings in external partners, leverages large scale financing, and move beyond humanitarian response to longer-term development wherever and whenever conflict subsides.

Organisational contribution to disaster risk reduction:

The World Bank has contributed an analysis on natural disasters in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) is a global partnership that helps developing countries better understand and reduce their vulnerabilities to natural hazards and adapt to climate change. Working with over 400 local, national, regional, and international partners, GFDRR provides grant financing, technical assistance, training and knowledge sharing activities to mainstream disaster and climate risk management in policies and strategies. Managed by the World Bank, GFDRR is supported by 34 countries and 9 international organizations.

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), GFDRR focuses on drought, flooding and earthquakes. Its focus countries in MENA are Djibouti and the Republic of Yemen. In FY15, GFDRR’s MENA portfolio consisted of 9 grants financed with $3.8 million in commitments. Throughout the year, 2 GFDRR-financed projects reached completion, disbursing a cumulative total of $1.3 million. Of particular relevance to the MENA region, also see its report on Disasters, Conflict and Fragility: A Joint Agenda, which states that “There is growing evidence from the field that people and institutions in fragile and conflict-affected states are much more vulnerable to natural hazards. Thus, for the international community to most effectively address vulnerability to disasters, it must consider fragility and conflict as core drivers of vulnerability for many millions of the world’s poorest people”.

Formal engagement with IFRC:

No current formalized agreement.