An $8 million grant has been disbursed by the Asian Development Bank to the Government of Kiribati to help fund drought relief efforts.
ADB says the support comes after a state of emergency was declared last month in response to the persistent drought which has exhausted rainwater supplies and made groundwater from wells unsafe to drink.
“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,” said ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office Regional Director Aaron Batten.
The grant is provided under ADB’s Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 4), which supports the government to design and implement policy reforms and preparedness measures to strengthen financial, physical, and social resilience against future disasters.