World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim arrives in Liberia on December 2; reassures commitment in Ebola response

Monrovia, Liberia - World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim arrives in Liberia on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 to further strengthen the Bank’s continuing response to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Dr. Kim will meet President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and senior officials of the Liberian Government.

While in Liberia, the World Bank Group President will reassure the Government and people of Liberia of the Bank’s commitment to assist Liberia achieve zero Ebola Virus transmission. Dr. Kim will visit the Ebola Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in Monrovia and meet with the Incident Management System representatives, donor partners involved in the Ebola response in Liberia, health workers, EVD survivors, contact tracers and burial team members. He will also hold a press conference on December 2, at 11:45 am, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to which media is invited.

The WBG is mobilizing nearly $1 billion in financing for the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola crisis. A total of $518 million has been disbursed for the emergency response. The funding is helping Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone provide treatment and care, contain and prevent the spread of infections, help communities cope with the economic impact of the crisis, and improve public health systems. Additional financing of $285 million grant was approved by the WBG’s Board on November 18, 2014, with a $115 million allocation for Liberia. This money will help scale-up community-based care and support for faster identification, triage and care of Ebola patients, enable a surge of international health workers, laboratory services, and essential supplies, and restart basic health services.

IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group is also providing commercial financing to enable trade, investment and employment in the three most affected countries, including Liberia. The financing includes a rapid response program which is helping to ensure continued operations of business and supplies of essential goods and services.