World Bank signs $400 mln loan deal with Tunisia

By Aicha Yahyaoui
TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) – The World Bank on Wednesday signed a $400 million loan agreement with Tunisia to help the country mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agreement was signed by Tunisian Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Saied and the World Bank Country Manager for Tunisia, Alexandre Arrobbio.

Wednesday’s loan agreement was the second after the World Bank provided the North African nation with a loan of $300 million last week to finance the emergency project for social protection, bringing the total funding to $700 million.

Minister of Social Affairs Malek Ezzahi said the funding will help around 310,000 vulnerable and low-income households in Tunisia.

Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis coupled with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

*Writing by Bassel Barakat in Ankara