World Bank to give USD 650 million to 3 African countries

The World Bank says it will give three West African countries at least USD 650 million over the next 12 to 18 months to help them recover from the devastating effects of the Ebola disease.
The new bank pledge brings the organization's total financing for Ebola response and recovery to USD 1.62 billion. Bank President Jim Yong Kim announced the new funding at a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Guinean President Alpha Conde, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma.
The three presidents presented their Ebola recovery plans to global development leaders at the meeting.

The bank estimates the Ebola epidemic continues to cripple the three countries' economies with GDP losses totaling USD 240 million for Liberia, USD 535 million for Guinea and USD 1.4 billion for Sierra Leone.