Posted on 29 June 2023
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) have just announced that they will be providing $8 million to support Kiribati with drought relief.
Kirtibati has been experiencing persistent drought for two years, with the highest infant mortality rates in the Pacific and a clean water crisis. Last month, a state of emergency was declared in the Pacific nation due to the consistency, and severity, of these conditions.
“ADB is pleased to assist the Government of Kiribati by providing an immediate response to this emergency,” says Aaron Batten, ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office Regional Director. “These funds will support the government’s efforts to address the lack of fresh water, which makes sanitation in the community more difficult and heightens the risk of waterborne disease.”
The funding will go towards the organisation’s Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 4), to reform policy and ultimately prepare for future disasters.