世界银行行长将访问海啸灾区协调救援

　　中广网华盛顿1月3日消息（记者伍刚）　作为世界银行对12月26日海啸灾难援助的持续动员，世界银行行长沃尔芬森今天动身去印度尼西亚，出席1月6日在雅加达召开的东盟领导人会议，会后将访问亚齐省和苏门答腊地区，之后访问斯里兰卡和马尔代夫，实地了解上周地震海啸灾难后救援所需资源的第一手情况。地震海啸灾难已造成15.5万多人死亡，使亚洲、东非地区数十万人无家可归。

　　沃尔芬森说：“这是一场巨大的危机，要求国际社会作出巨大的反应。我要亲自去这些地区实地了解当地灾民的需求，帮助进一步推动世界银行的救援工作。我们正在与所有合作伙伴共同努力，帮助受灾国家进行从人道主义救援向长期恢复重建过渡”。

　　沃尔芬森先将出席东盟会议，会议目的是与各受灾国政府、国际组织及其他援助机构协调救援努力。

　　周四会议之后，沃尔芬森先生将与联合国秘书长安南以及其他官员共赴亚齐实地视察灾难造成的损失，向灾民了解情况，然后去斯里兰卡和马尔代夫访问受灾地区，与当地政府官员和灾民讨论重建的优先重点和所需资金。

　　世界银行截至目前的救援情况

　　在灾难过后的几日内，世界银行宣布承诺2.5亿美元作为对紧急重建的初步援助，同时确认将为长期的重建需求提供更多融资。2.5亿美元的援助资金可以快速从现有项目中调拨，也包括提供紧急信贷和赠款满足受灾国家眼前的需求。

　　世界银行的援助是根据各受灾国家确认的具体需要量身定制的，也考虑到各国有效实施的能力。优先重点放在紧急恢复活动、为急需卫生和生计支持的社区提供援助以及关键的重建项目上。世行正在与国际货币基金组织、联合国以及救灾机构协调，以确保能够顺利地从救援向发展支持过渡。

　　世界银行目前采取的行动

　　在即刻、实际和实地援助方面，世界银行的救援活动包括：

　　斯里兰卡

　　灾害发生后，斯里兰卡政府和世界银行驻科伦坡的员工一直在进行密切接触。世行截至目前的救援活动包括：

　　从现有项目中腾出资金用于解决药品、水净化和贮存器、电泵和推土设备。审查世行项目组合，以确定可以腾出多少资金用于解决眼前需求，或为较长期的恢复努力作准备。例如，对正在执行中的教育、卫生和住房项目可以比较容易调整，满足未来数月的重建需求。在一周内组建起一个世行工作小组，着手开始评估重建需求，制定适当的援助计划。除了通过贷款组合进行调整腾出的资金外，预计到2月底将快速准备好一个“紧急恢复信贷”项目。与亚洲开发银行达成协议，合作准备下一阶段的援助计划。

　　印度尼西亚

　　世界银行正在与亚洲开发银行、印尼政府以及其他合作伙伴共同合作，评估重建需求，制定灾后重建计划。预计将有一个综合技术评估团在尽可能快的情况下访问亚齐。世行正在与印尼政府讨论以下方案：利用当地正在执行中的项目，包括利用世行在当地的一个社区发展项目的数千名辅导员组成的网络，帮助进行需求评估和恢复工作。世行已在启动该网络，数周内即可开始运行，届时将大大加强农村地区的覆盖面。重新调整世行现有的项目组合，包括在不影响项目进展或成功的情况下利用未支付贷款资金余额。在正在筹备中的新项目中加入专为援助亚齐的子项目。通过一个新的紧急项目提供更多的“紧急恢复和重建援助”。

　　马尔代夫

　　马尔代夫

　　政府在灾后次日就提出要求世界银行提供援助，并建立了一个“救灾和减灾委员会”和一个协调救灾的国家中心。世行也在马累岛首府建立一个临时联络中心。世行截至目前的救援活动包括：

　　一个世行先遣队于周二（1月4日）抵达马尔代夫，开始对约1200万美元的资金进行调整，在联合国刚刚完成的初步评估的基础上启动中期需求评估。世行和亚洲开发银行与马尔代夫政府达成协议，由这两家多边开发银行组建一个联合工作小组，本周开始在马尔代夫工作。世行集团内负责私营部门的国际金融公司过去一直在支持马尔代夫的旅游业，现在也准备提供员工协助评估灾难造成的损害，资助旅游业的恢复方案。先遣队将筹备资助项目，进行需求评估，为政府动员更多资金提供依据。

　　世界银行目前正在动员组建对印尼、斯里兰卡和马尔代夫的评估小组，并组建一个预备小组以备其他国家提出援助要求。在集中援助争取短期恢复的同时，世行将与各国政府一起研究加强较长期的国家应对自然灾害和缓解风险的能力。同时也将评估加强区域合作，包括建立区域性海啸预警机制的可行性。

　　资金来源

　　用于紧急恢复援助的资金总额将取决于各受灾国的需求和其他发展合作伙伴机构提供的资源。世行援助在初期将采取对具有较多未支付资金和节省资金潜力的现有项目进行资金重新分配的形式。此外，对一些筹备中的项目可以调整重点，用于支持重建努力。对于资金重新分配须不影响现有项目的成功或进展方面，世行将会给予特别关注。

　　对于贷款资金重新调配仍不能满足需要的国家，世行将提供更多紧急恢复贷款。这可能包括调拨05财年预计承诺额的部分资金。必要时也可能会增加国际开发协会的国别贷款分配，国际开发协会是世界银行针对最贫困国家的贷款机构。

　　沃尔芬森先生指出，适当地实施较长期的重建，意味着现在就作出选择。他说：“我们面临的挑战是我们不能加重贫困以及目前已使灾民如此脆弱无助的情况”。

　　WORLD BANK PRESIDENT TO ATTEND ASEAN LEADERS’ MEETINGONTSUNAMI DISASTER, VISIT STRICKEN AREAS

　　Bank Outlines Response To-Date

　　WASHINGTON, January 3, 2005 —

　　Continuing the World Bank’s mobilization in response to theDecr26 disaster, World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn todaywilltravel to Indonesia to attend a January 6 meeting of theleaders ofthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) inJakarta. Fromthere, he will visit the Sumatran province of Aceh,and travel onto Sri Lanka and Maldives, to see first-hand whatresources willneed to be mobilized following last week’sdevastating earthquakeand tsunami that has killed more than 155,000people and centerhundreds of thousands homeless across Asia andeastern Africa.“Thisis a crisis of massive proportion, requiring amassive responsefrom the international community,” said Mr.Wolfensohn. “I amtraveling to the region to see for myself theextent of peoples’needs on the ground, and to help advance furtherthe World Bank’sresponse. We are working hand-in-hand with all ourpartners as wehelp these countries make the transition fromhumanitarian reliefto long-term recovery.”

　　Mr. Wolfensohn

　　will first attend the ASEAN meeting, which has as its goalthecoordination of relief efforts with the affectedgovernments,international organizations, and other donors.FollowingThursday’smeeting, Mr. Wolfensohn will travel to Aceh with theUnitedNations’ Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other officials toseethe damage first-hand and talk with survivors. He will continueonto Sri Lanka and the Maldives to visit the affected areasanddiscuss reconstruction priorities and their funding withgovernmentofficials and the affected people.

　　World

　　Bank Response to DateIn the days immediately following thecrisis,the World Bank announced it would commit an initial $250million foremergency reconstruction while further financing forlonger-termreconstruction needs is identified. The $250 millioncan be madeavailable quickly from existing programs, and willinclude theprovision of emergency credits and grants to respond totheimmediate needs in the countries hit by this disaster.TheWorldBank’s assistance is being tailored to individual countryneeds asthey are identified, taking into account the local capacityforeffective implementation and disbursement. Priority is beinggivento urgent rehabilitation activities, assistance to communitiesinneed of health and livelihood support, and criticalreconstructionprojects. The Bank is coordinating with theInternational MonetaryFund (IMF), the UN, and relief agencies toallow for a smoothtransition from relief to developmentsupport.Immediate Action bythe World BankIn terms of immediate,practical, on-the-groundsupport, the World Bank’s assistance effortincludes:Sri LankaTheGovernment of Sri Lanka and World Bank staffin Colombo have beenin close dialogue since the crisis. Bankresponse so far hasincluded:Releasing resources under ongoingprojects for medicines,water purification and storage tanks, pumpsand earth movingequipment;Reviewing the portfolio of Bank projectsto determineadditional resources that can be released for theimmediate effort,or readied for the longer-term rehabilitationeffort. For example,ongoing operations in education, health andhousing can readily beadapted for the reconstruction that will beneeded over the comingmonths.Readying a Bank team to be in SriLanka within the week tobegin the work of assessing thereconstruction needs, and preparingan appropriate response. Apartfrom resources from portfoliorestructuring, the rapid processing ofan Emergency Recovery Creditis foreseen by end February.Agreementwith the Asian DevelopmentBank (ADB) that the organizations willwork hand-in-hand to preparethe next stage of theresponse.IndonesiaThe World Bank, with theADB, the Government andother partners, is working jointly toassess the reconstructionneeds and develop a post-disasterreconstruction plan. A fulltechnical assessment mission isexpected to visit Aceh as soon as ispractical. The Bank isdiscussing the following options with theGovernment:Using existingoperations on the ground, including thepossibility of making aspecial contribution to the needs assessmentand recovery work bymobilizing the Bank’s network of thousands oflocal facilitatorswho are part of the an ongoing communitydevelopment project, theKecamatan Development Project. The Bank isalready in the processof activating this network which could be upand running in amatter of weeks and greatly strengthen ruralcoverage.Reorientingthe Bank’s existing project portfolio,including the use ofundisbursed balances without disrupting themomentum or success ofthe projects involved.Complementing projectsin the pipeline withspecific components for Aceh.Providingadditional EmergencyRecovery and Reconstruction Assistance in theform of a specificnew emergency operation.

　　Maldives

　　The Government of Maldives asked the World Bank for assistancetheday after the disaster and established a Disaster ResponseandMitigation Committee and a national center to coordinatetheresponse. The Bank is also setting up a temporary liaison centeronthe island capital of Male. Bank response to date:An advanceBankteam arriving in Maldives early Tuesday (January 4) tobeginreprogramming funds of about $12 million and to launch themediumterm needs assessment following the UN’s initial assessmentjustcompleted.The Bank and the ADB agreed with the Government thatthetwo multilateral banks should form a joint team which beginsworkin Maldives this week.The Bank’s private sector affiliate,theInternational Finance Corporation, which has supported thetourismsector on the island nation, is also likely to contributestaff toassist in assessing the damage and financing options forthetourism sector. The mission would prepare financing operationsandcarry out a needs assessment that could be input tothegovernment’s effort to mobilize additional resources.The WorldBankis now mobilizing assessment teams for Indonesia, Sri LankaandMaldives, and a stand-by team is being identified in the eventthatadditional countries require assistance. While the focusofassistance will be on the immediate recovery, the Bank willreviewwith the Governments ways to enhance the countries’preparednessfor natural disasters and capacity in hazard riskmitigation in thelong term. Options for increased regionalcooperation, includingthe feasibility of establishing a regionaltsunami warning systemwill also be assessed.

　　Sources of Funds

　　The total amount of funding for emergency recovery assistancewillbe determined based on individual countries’ needs andresourcesmade available by other development partners. Bankassistance willinitially be in the form of reallocation of fundsfrom existingoperations that have significant un-disbursed fundsand potentialsavings. In addition, some projects in the pipelinemay be refocusedto support reconstruction efforts. Specialattention will be takento ensure that reallocation does notjeopardize the success ormomentum of existing programs.Additionalemergency recovery loanswill be provided in countries wherereallocation of funds is notsufficient. This may entail freeing upsome of the projected FY05commitments. Incremental countryallocations from the InternationalDevelopment Association (IDA),the World Bank’s lending arm for thepoorest countries, will alsobe sought where necessary.

　　Mr. Wolfensohn

　　noted thatimplementing the longer-term reconstructionproperlymeans making the center choices now: “The challenge beforeus isthat we not rebuild the poverty and circumstances that havemadetoday’s victims so vulnerable in the first place,” hesaid.来源：中国广播网责编：金风