DUSHANBE, June 18, Asia-Plus  -- The World Bank Board of Executive Directors on June 13 approved a US$5 million grant for the Tajikistan Emergency Food Security and Seed Imports Project and a US$4 million grant as Additional Financing to the Tajikistan Community and Basic Health Project to address the nutrition problems of vulnerable groups, press release issued by the World Bank Dushanbe office on June 18 said.

“Food security, development of the agricultural sector, as well as the improvement of the health of the population are among the core objectives of Tajikistan’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. At the same time, the current food crisis is threatening to make worse social outcomes particularly among low-income groups, who have little funds available to pay for food and other pressing needs,” said Chiara Bronchi, World Bank Country Manager for Tajikistan. “The World Bank, in coordination with the Government of Tajikistan, is providing emergency support to enhance the Community and Basic Health Project, and an emergency operation to provide agricultural inputs to the most needy and vulnerable groups.”

The two grants were made available to Tajikistan under the World Bank’s US$1.2 billion Global Fast-Track Facility for Food Crisis launched at the end of May. The new facility is designed to address the immediate needs of the most vulnerable countries through support to social safety nets, school feeding programs, food production, and other interventions.

The Emergency Food Security and Seed Imports Project aims to increase domestic food production and reduce the loss of livestock to help an estimated 28,000 households in Tajikistan. Agricultural production inputs and critical livestock-related inputs will be provided to the poorest farmers to support their immediate food security and recover their production losses.  The project will be implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations under the framework established by the Fast-Track Facility for Food Crisis.

The Additional Financing to the Tajikistan Community and Basic Health Project, in turn, will finance additional activities that will provide nutritional supplements and nutrition education to pregnant and lactating women, infants, and small children.  This will be done by taking advantage of the existing primary healthcare system, and NGOs, many of which have extensive experience with mother and child healthcare.  Since 2005, the Community and Basic Health Project has been supporting the Government of Tajikistan in improving the access to, and the quality of  health services, and building capacity and efficiency at national and selected local levels in administering the basic package of health benefits and per capita financing for primary health care.

This year, Tajikistan is experiencing multiple stresses, compounded by the global food crisis.  The extremely harsh winter of 2007-08, combined with power shortages and high fuel prices, has already imposed great hardship and rising expenses on the population, particularly in rural areas.  The sharp rise in prices of imported food has exacerbated the difficulties faced by the poor.  In particular, the prices of bread and other major staples are soaring in Tajikistan, reflecting the rapid global rise in food prices.  Such a large increase in the price of bread will have particularly negative effects on the living standards of the already poor and disadvantaged populations.

The World Bank’s mission in Tajikistan is to promote economic growth, reduce poverty, and encourage a better quality of life.  The country became a member of the World Bank on June 4, 1993.  The financial assistance committed to Tajikistan so far amounts to over US$456 million, in the form of grants and concessional credits.  The current portfolio of the World Bank in the country consists of 15 active projects in agriculture and rural development, energy, infrastructure, health and education, among others.