Sierra Leone - Multi-Country Covid-19 Crisis Response Support Programme (Liberia,Gambia and Sierra Leone)

The proposed intervention focuses on the Sierra Leone component of the Multi-Country COVID19 Crisis Response Support Programme (MCCRSP) in The Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The MCCRSP is a Crisis Response Budget Support (CRBS) under the COVID-19 Crisis Response Facility (CRF). It seeks to contribute to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its impact in the GLS countries. This is a multi-country ADF grant totalling UA 38.15 million comprising: (i) an ADF Grant of UA 5 million and a TSF Pillar I Grant of UA 5 million to the Republic of The Gambia; (ii) an ADF Grant of UA 3.14 million and a TSF Pillar I Grant of UA 7.01 million to the Republic of Liberia; and (iii) an ADF Grant of UA 9 million and a TSF Pillar I Grant of UA 9 million to the Republic of Sierra Leone. The three countries have been combined into one group to ensure efficiency in processing of the CRBS to ADF-eligible countries under the Regional Delivery Coordination Office for West Africa (RDGW). Indeed, the countries have similar characteristics and needs in dealing with the pandemic. Their health sectors are constrained due to human and infrastructural bottlenecks. Upon declaration of first cases of COVID-19 on March 11th, 16th and 31st, 2020 in The Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone, respectively, the countries took urgent steps to put in place contingency plans to prevent and contain the virus. However, infection cases have been on the rise across the countries. As of June 29th, there were 45 confirmed cases in The Gambia; 768 cases in Liberia; and 1,427 cases in Sierra Leone. The proposed operation will help to contain the spread of COVID in order to facilitate the lifting of lockdown measures and enable economic recovery process to start. It seeks to contribute to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its impact in Sierra Leone.