MANILA, PHILIPPINES (4 March 2022) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is releasing an $8 million (A$11.3 million) grant from its Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 3) to help finance the Government of Kiribati’s response to the community transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The country is battling large-scale community transmission of the pandemic, with Kiribati's Ministry of Health and Medical Service confirming 11 deaths among 2,940 cases of COVID-19.
“This quick-disbursing ADB financing will help the Government of Kiribati better manage this unprecedented medical emergency,” said ADB Director General for the Pacific Leah Gutierrez.
The ADB-supported Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 3) fills a financing gap common to many Pacific developing member countries during disasters, providing a predictable and quick-disbursing source of financing for early response and recovery activities.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
