The International Monetary Fund is preparing another Ebola relief package worth $150 million for Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia — aid that may pave the way for larger reforms to one of the IMF’s disaster relief mechanisms.
IMF staff will present the proposal to the executive board in early January, an IMF representative told Devex; funds will likely become available this quarter.
After providing $130 million in September for Ebola relief, IMF leaders have reportedly been considering ways to relieve the West African countries’ debt burdens. IMF relieved Haiti’s entire outstanding debt after an earthquake and tsunami devastated the Caribbean nation five years ago today. IMF officials discussed the option in November with world leaders at the G-20 summit in Brisbane, Australia.
About the author
Molly Andersmollyanders_dev
Molly Anders is a former U.K. correspondent for Devex. Based in London, she reports on development finance trends with a focus on British and European institutions. She is especially interested in evidence-based development and women’s economic empowerment, as well as innovative financing for the protection of migrants and refugees. Molly is a former Fulbright Scholar and studied Arabic in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.