Published: April 22, 2006
Nine Developing Countries to Benefit From New UN Loans
Rural projects in nine countries around the world, from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Brazil and from Madagascar to the Maldives, will benefit from $145.6 million in loans approved today by the United Nations specialized agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing states.
The loans were approved at the 87th session of the Executive Board of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) meeting in Rome. The Board also approved $4.9 million in grants to support rural poor people, in particular women and small livestock keepers.
Benefiting projects include:
Bosnia and Herzegovina: $12.6 million to help finance the $24.5 million Rural Enterprise Enhancement Project which will assist 10,000 households in some of the country's poorest municipalities.
Brazil: a $30-million loan and a $500,000 grant to aid the $60.5 million Rural Communities Development Project in the Poorest Areas of the State of Bahia, directly benefiting 35,000 poor and landless families living in the semi-arid region.
Congo: $8.4 million for the $20.8 million Rural Development Project in the Departments of Niari, Bouenza and Lékoumou, working with poor rural communities to boost their access to markets, improved agricultural inputs and financial resources and benefiting 30,000 households directly or indirectly.
India, Maldives and Sri Lanka: $35.1 million in additional loans for post-tsunami programmes to help rural poor people rebuild their livelihoods.
Madagascar: a $13.1-million loan and a $365,000 grant to help finance the $23.4 million Project to Support Development in the Menabe and Melaky Regions, benefiting some 200,000 rural poor.
Mozambique:$20 million in loans to help finance the Agricultural Support Programme, directly benefiting more than 140,000 Pakistan: a $26.4-million loan to aid the $29.6-million Project for the Restoration of Earthquake-Affected Communities and Households hit by last October's disaster.
Source: United Nations
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