The European Union (EU) has announced on Monday it will increase an amount of D11 million (209, 000,00 EUR) to fund a new COVID-19 Cash Transfer response activity in order to extend the implementation of the BreST project that supports women and children in The Gambia.
BReST is a successful EU funded 3,000,000 EUR cash transfer nutrition social protection project targeting pregnant and lactating mothers with children under the age of 2 and has been under implementation since 2017.
It’s being implemented by UNICEF, Notational Nutritional Agency (NaNA) and the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare.
“In light of the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic and its unavoidable socio-economic consequences, the European Union has taken the decision to increase funding to the successful Building Resilience through Social Transfers…” EU states in a media dispatch.
“This increase of 11,000,000.00 Gambian Dalasi (209,000.00 EUR) will be used to fund a new ”COVID-19 Cash Transfer response” activity.”
According to the statement, the activity will target the most vulnerable households in the BReST implementing regions of CRR, URR and NBR and involve provision of an immediate cash transfer of 1500 GMD per mother and child pair.
“The transfer will be used as an immediate stop gap for purchase of essential food and hygiene items to combat the spread of COVID 19. The transfer is intended to be by cash or more likely by mobile money to 6,000 mother-child pairs using details already held by UNICEF and NaNA.
”The European Union stands in support of the Gambian people in efforts to combat the spread of COVID 19” says the European Union Ambassador to the Republic of The Gambia, Attila LAJOS.
On Friday, the European Union has also announced granting D512, 640, 000 (Є 9,000,000) of Budget Support to help The Gambia to implement its responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
