World Bank [to 18 April 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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Ebola: World Bank Group Provides New Financing to Help Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone Recover from Ebola Emergency
New GDP Estimates Show International Support Vital to Speed Recovery
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2015–The World Bank Group (WBG) announced today that it would provide at least US$650 million during the next 12 to 18 months to help Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone recover from the devastating social and economic impact of the Ebola crisis and advance their longer-term development needs. The new WBG pledge brings the organization’s total financing for Ebola response and recovery efforts to date to US$1.62 billion. The additional funding announcement comes as the WBG releases new GDP estimates showing that the Ebola epidemic continues to cripple the economies of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Estimated GDP losses for the three countries in 2015 rose to US$2.2 billion: US$240 million for Liberia, US$535 million for Guinea and US$1.4 billion for Sierra Leone…
Date: April 17, 2015

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Speeches & Transcripts
Remarks at Press Conference Following High-Level Roundtable on Ebola
President of Guinea Alpha Condé, President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma , World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Press Conference Following High-Level Roundtable on Ebola
Washington, D.C., United States
April 17, 2015
Transcript

Arab Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Join Efforts to Support Financial Sector Development in the Arab World
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2015 – The Arab Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group signed today an Enhanced Partnership Framework to support countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in developing their economies and financial markets. This initiative will include collaboration on joint strategies for promoting the development of financial markets and trade among countries; supporting economic stabilization; and accelerating broad-based and inclusive economic growth and job creation in the Arab region.“ The World Bank and the Arab Monetary Fund have collaborated on a number of initiatives over the years and given our fruitful cooperation in the past, we are here to solidify and strengthen this partnership further,” said Hafez Ghanem, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region.
Date: April 17, 2015

World Bank Group and a Coalition of Partners Make Commitments to Accelerate Universal Financial Access
Access can enable people to better manage risks and escape poverty
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2015 — Today the World Bank Group and a broad coalition of partners – including multilateral agencies, banks, credit unions, card networks, microfinance institutions and telecommunications companies – issued numeric commitments that will help promote financial inclusion and achieve universal financial access by the year 2020.Galvanizing private-sector investment and innovation to accelerate universal financial access, including through enabling policy and regulatory frameworks, was the focus of a flagship event at the World Bank headquarters. It brought together private-sector leaders, government regulators and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.The 2020 goal calls for adults worldwide to have access to a transaction account or an electronic instrument to store money, send and receive payments, recognizing financial access as a basic building block to managing an individual’s financial life.
Date: April 17, 2015

Future of Food: World Bank Outlines Action Agenda for Food System to Help End Poverty and Hunger
WASHINGTON, DC, April 16, 2015 – With 800 million people going to bed hungry every night, countries combatting hunger must build better food systems that raise agricultural productivity in rural areas, invest in improving nutritional outcomes for young children and pregnant women, and boost climate-smart agriculture that can withstand a warmer planet, says a World Bank Group report released today. The report is titled “Ending Poverty and Hunger by 2030: An Agenda for the Global Food System.” “This report is critically important because it provides an overview of key actions that should be taken to end widespread hunger,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. “Countries should ensure farmers have access to markets, receive fair value for crops, and grow foods that will withstand the rigors of a changing climate. They should invest in food, health, and care for young children and pregnant women, and improve access to nutritious food.”
Date: April 16, 2015

New fund targets billion dollars for children’s nutrition
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2015–The Power of Nutrition, a new independent fund launched today, will help millions of children reach their full potential. Backed by leading organisations from private philanthropy and international development, the partnership aims to unlock one billion dollars to tackle child undernutrition in some of the world’s poorest countries. The Power of Nutrition will save lives and help millions of children escape from the effects of malnutrition. It will help countries build healthy and prosperous communities. It launches with arrangements in place to unlock the first $200 million from high profile backers such as the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation, the UK’s Department for International Development, UNICEF, and the World Bank Group. It opens to new private and public investors today.
Date: April 16, 2015

Massive Drop in Number of Unbanked, says New Report
700 million adults worldwide became account holders between 2011 and 2014;20 percent drop in the number of unbanked, according to 2014 Global Findex
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2015 — From 2011 and 2014, 700 million people became account holders at banks, other financial institutions, or mobile money service providers, and the number of “unbanked” individuals dropped 20 percent to 2 billion adults, says a new report released today.“ Access to financial services can serve as a bridge out of poverty. We have set a hugely ambitious goal – universal financial access by 2020 – and now we have evidence that we’re making major progress,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. “This effort will require many partners – credit card companies, banks, microcredit institutions, the United Nations, foundations, and community leaders. But we can do it, and the payoff will be millions of people lifted out of poverty.”
Date: April 15, 2015
[see more extensive treatment in Week in Review above]