Few would consider the World Bank a humanitarian relief organization. But the development finance institution’s $1.5 billion facility for refugee hosting countries could help blur the lines — in a good way — between relief and development.
The bank has assembled, over the course of the past year, an expanded financing facility it hopes will help development organizations support refugee populations displaced by war, disaster or persecution. Humanitarian groups have welcomed the bank’s effort to bridge the divide between humanitarian response and development investment, although they say it will take time and oversight to ensure the effort translates into improved refugee services.
The Global Concessional Finance Facility — officially announced at the United Nations General Assembly in September — is a $1.5 billion financing platform the bank hopes will prove responsive to the variety of interests and concerns that make refugee hosting difficult to fund. The GCFF represents a global expansion of a regional facility the bank created for the Middle East and North Africa — the point being to build a financing mechanism that can swing into action and support refugee-hosting countries, whenever and wherever the next refugee crisis breaks out. Qualifying countries that host refugees will gain access to World Bank financing for sectors such as health, education, and jobs — which benefit both refugee and host populations.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
