OVER $ 1 BILLION IN IDA AID TO YEMEN DURING 2001-2013

SANA'A, Dec. 19 (Saba) - The World Bank has announced that the
International Development Agency is financing 21 developmental
projects in Yemen with more than $ 1 billion under the country
assistance strategy for 2010-2013.

The funds already spent were estimated at $ 478 million, directed
for 16 projects and including extra finance.

There is still an amount of $ 684 million to be released over the
rest strategy period.

The aid, most spent, included extra finance by the agency, according
the strategy, which also noted that the extra finance is deemed a
most effective way to gradually spend the aid portfolio.

A large part of the IDA' program was focused on facing recent and
emergent priorities such avian flu, food crisis and floods.

Despite major obstacles in the country, credit performance was
satisfactory, with only a few projects whose evaluations were fairly
good.

The unsatisfactory project rate decreased from 50 percent in 1995 to
6 percent in 2009, while the used loans rate increased from 10
percent to 23 percent during the same period.

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