The announcement was made in Kigali on Tuesday during a meeting convened by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), in partnership with the World Bank and the World Food Programme, to review strategies for disaster preparedness and response.
Speaking at the event, Ngoga Aristarque, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA), said Rwanda continues to face challenges in responding to severe disasters, often requiring funds to be diverted from other planned activities. He noted that the new support will help the country bridge critical gaps.
'While the national budget allocates resources for disaster response, unpredictable and large-scale disasters can quickly strain available funds. In the past, we had to reallocate resources from other programs, which affected implementation. This new mechanism will allow Rwanda to access emergency funding more quickly,' Ngoga said.
He added that the 2023 disasters highlighted the need for stronger resilience, as the country still requires an estimated $451 million to fully support affected communities two years later.
According to Ngoga, the new World Bank financing will reduce the shortfall between available and required resources, as Rwanda currently has less than half of the funding needed to address the impact of major disasters.
Kabera Godfrey, Minister of State for the National Treasury at MINECOFIN, said disasters such as floods, landslides, and earthquakes cost the country about $145 million each year. Between 2013 and 2023, disasters and droughts alone reduced Rwanda's GDP by 1.75 percent, with projections showing losses could rise to 3.25 percent without intervention.
'To address these risks, Rwanda has introduced mechanisms including the National Disaster Risk Fund, quick-access credit facilities, and insurance solutions to help mitigate losses. These measures ensure that funds for other national priorities are not diverted to disaster response,' Kabera said.
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