Bread for the World applauds the U.S. announcement of a $4 billion pledge to the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), the Bank’s fund for the lowest-income countries. This pledge sustains the U.S. position as the largest historical donor to IDA.
The following statement can be attributed to Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World:
“I commend the United States for its strong pledge to the IDA21 replenishment. A pledge to IDA is an investment to address the drivers of hunger and malnutrition, putting sufficient funding and financing into place to deliver interventions at scale.
“With approximately 735 million people in the world who faced hunger in 2023, a strong pledge from the U.S. allows the 78 lowest-income countries eligible to receive IDA resources to strengthen their economies and make progress against hunger and malnutrition. Currently 19 of the 22 hunger hotspots, countries with the most severe and deteriorating acute hunger situations, are IDA recipient countries.
“Since IDA’s establishment in 1960, 35 countries have graduated from IDA and 27 of these countries are U.S. trading partners.
“As an organization deeply informed by our faith in Christ, we believe that God calls on us to care for our neighbors in their times of need, whether they are in the next house, the next country, or the next continent. We are hopeful the next administration and Congress will continue to support strategic investments and interventions addressing global hunger and malnutrition.”
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