World Bank deploys $40 million for coronavirus response in Lebanon
April 3, 2020, 7:18 am

World Bank deploys $40 million for coronavirus response in Lebanon

A fruit vendor waits for customers at his stall in front of Sidon’s sea castle. (Finbar Anderson)

The World Bank allocated $40 million to the coronavirus response efforts in Lebanon, according to a press release from the organization Thursday.

The funds will be re-allocated from the current Health Resilience Project, a $120 million project designed to strengthen the Ministry of Public Health’s ability and capacity to respond to crises.

"This outbreak comes at a time when Lebanon’s economy is already going through the worst economic crisis in recent history and the Government of Lebanon has limited resources to respond," said Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank Mashreq Regional Director in the press release. "The World Bank stands ready to support Lebanon’s efforts to contain the rapid spread of the virus and help the Lebanese people in these particularly challenging times."

The $40 million will support the Lebanese government with “surveillance and case detection, case management protection of health workers, and multisectoral response to support multisectoral activities,” according to the World Bank’s statement.

The health care system in the country is in disarray from years of mismanagement with the government owning private facilities an estimated $1.3 billion in unpaid dues – used to pay staff and purchase medical supplies – since 2011.

Since October 2019, when a liquidity crisis began to be felt in Lebanon, importers of medical supplies, and other goods, have struggled to secure enough dollars to pay for their imports.

In early March, doctors at the hospital where coronavirus patients have been treated announced they would go on strike.

“Because of the dangers, hardships, and harsh conditions under which hospital staff suffer, and the indifference that has become evident by management and stakeholders, the decision was taken…. to go on strike,” a statement from March 11 from the committee of employees, contractors, and procedures at the hospital read.

The World Bank statement emphasized concerns that coronavirus will particularly hit the poor and refugee populations in the country.

Many in Lebanon are employed in the informal sector and rely on daily wages to make ends meet. Those workers, such as cab drivers and fruit and vegetable vendors, stand to be hit especially hard by the economic fallout of COVID-19.

Lebanon also hosts around 1 million Syrian refugees, according to official tallies, some of whom live in cramped informal settlements. Refugees often lack access to healthcare and social distancing measures, like those recommended by the World Health Organization, are difficult or impossible to practice while living in tented communities.

Lebanon is currently on lockdown as authorities attempt to slow the spread of the virus. However, the past few days have seen some defy lockdown orders to protest worsening economic conditions in the country, which have been steadily deteriorating since October. Now, coronavirus has exacerbated an already tough situation. As of Friday, there have been 16 reported coronavirus deaths in Lebanon and 494 cases. levant

source: Lauren Holtmeier levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”