The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, the Tunisian Government and the International Red Cross Committee (ICRC), on Monday March 14, 2011 in Tunis, signed a USD 1 million humanitarian emergency assistance grant.

The AfDB Board of Directors approved this emergency grant on Friday, March 11, 2011 in Tunis. The grant is aimed at meeting the urgent emergency needs of displaced people at the Tunisia-Libya border, following the civil unrest and armed conflict in Libya. It also aims at supporting the tremendous efforts of the Tunisian government to cope with the humanitarian crisis.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Tunisian Planning and cooperation minister, Abdelhamid Triki underscored the "great and active solidarity" expressed by the AfDB from the onset of the crisis in Tunisia. "Friends in need are friends indeed," he said. He also explained that the African Development Bank had been the first international organization to show concern. He emphasized that the strong commitments by the Bank to support Tunisia, give confidence to the country in support to its program. He used the opportunity thank the Bank, its Board of Directors and staff.

For his part, Jean-Michel Monod, the International Red Cross Committee (ICRC) representative, expressed his organization's gratitude to the Bank for its fast response to current deteriorating humanitarian conditions faced by thousands of people fleeing Libya. "We are positively impressed by the AfDB and staff's reaction," he said.

Signing for the AfDB, Operations Director for North Africa, Jacob Kolster, thanked Tunisian authorities for "your precious cooperation with the Bank, to help make this exceptional emergency grant procedure of USD 1 million happen."

Contacts

Aristide Agoungnon Ahouassou