IFC launches 450-mln dollar initiative to support Ebola-affected countries

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, on Wednesday announced a package of 450 million U.S. dollars in commercial financing to support trade, investment and employment in the three West African countries.

The initiative will include 250 million dollars in rapid response projects and at least 200 million dollars in investment projects to support post-epidemic economic recovery in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

It is part of the World Bank Group's effort to provide support during the Ebola epidemic and prepare for economic recovery in the countries most affected by the crisis, the IFC said in a statement.

The IFC's move brings the World Bank's commitments for Ebola to nearly 1 billion dollars in the past three months.