World Bank provides $400 million to allow 12 million people in Angola, Burundi, Malawi, Seychelles and Zambia to benefit from financial readiness against climate-related and other disasters
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2025 ¡ª More than twelve million people in Angola, Burundi, Malawi, Seychelles, and Zambia will benefit from the second phase of the , a World Bank-supported initiative aimed at strengthening resilience to climate-related shocks and other disasters. Approved today by the World Bank Board of Directors, this $400 million phase seeks to mobilize an additional $395 million in private capital through insurance solutions to maximize financial coverage for participating countries.
¡°REPAIR showcases the power of collaboration among African countries, private actors, and partners to deliver large-scale solutions that confront common challenges such as floods, droughts, pandemics, and other shocks, to save lives and livelihoods,¡± said Marina Wes, World Bank Acting Director of Regional Integration for Africa. ¡°Its regional approach enhances cost-effectiveness, fosters the exchange of knowledge and innovative practices, and strengthens financial planning and preparedness to ensure timely support for vulnerable communities in times of crisis."
Eastern and Southern Africa face increasingly frequent and severe climate shocks, compounded by economic volatility, poverty, and systemic vulnerabilities that overwhelm traditional disaster response mechanisms. Countries in the region lack comprehensive financial preparedness, leaving them dependent on slow, insufficient, and fragmented sources of emergency funding. REPAIR is essential to help fill these critical gaps, by enhancing collective resilience and ensuring that lives and livelihoods are protected, and that development can progress without derailing long-term investments. The program is implemented by African Risk Capacity Limited, a specialized regional risk pool established by the African Union to provide insurance services and financial protection against climate and disaster-related shocks.
¡°Speed, flexibility, and sustainability are the core pillars of REPAIR,¡± said Hassan Zaman, World Bank Regional Director for Prosperity. ¡°Under the Program, participating countries benefit from tailored financial instruments designed to quickly deliver funds to them within seven days of a disaster. The Program also improves the effectiveness and readiness of local delivery channels in each country to ensure that assistance can quickly reach affected communities after a disaster.¡±&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
REPAIR builds on insights from recent Eastern and Southern Africa Climate Country and Development Reports (CCDR), which underscore the urgency of enhancing climate adaptation and resilience to reduce fragility and facilitate post-shock recovery of economies and jobs. The implementation of its first phase¡ª$306 million, approved in July 2024 and targeting financial coverage for about 6 million people in Comoros, Madagascar, and Mozambique¡ªhas demonstrated how rapid mobilization of funds, within just seven days, can make a critical difference in emergencies, as seen following tropical cyclones in Comoros and Mozambique respectively in December 2024 and April 2025. However, to truly safeguard vulnerable communities, it is important to strengthen national delivery systems and use financial preparedness to drive proactive risk reduction.
The total approved financing for the REPAIR Program amounts to $926 million, with the goal to attract $795 million in private capital and boost financial resilience for 28 million people across the region.
Contacts:
- In Washington: Daniella van Leggelo-Padilla,dvanleggelo@worldbank.org
- In Angola: Wilson Mbanino Piassa, wpiassa@worldbank.org
- In Burundi: Ange Dany Gakunzi, agakunzi@worldbankgroup.org
- In Malawi: Henry Chimbali, hchimbali@worldbank.org
- In Seychelles: Leonor Costa Neves, lcostaneves@worldbank.org
- In Zambia: Carlyn Hambuba, chambuba@worldbank.org
