UNDP has worked with multiple partners, notably the European Union, on gender issues, and supported the Ministry of Women and Families on womens empowerment with different livelihood interventions and economic packages, such as literacy programs, entrepreneurship training, capacity-building, grants, and the establishment of savings accounts. Since its pilot phase launched in 2016, the programme has focused on creating viable, sustainable employment options tailored for young people, while also promoting financial inclusion, enabling access to existing government services, and supporting increased social integration of extremely poor, young-headed households. The project will also target drought-stricken rural communities throughout Djibouti directly, and will support about 8,000 households, including farmers and cattle ranchers, with improvements to drinking water and irrigation, and livelihood rehabilitation activities.
It includes provisions worth Dh70 billion for mitigating health and economic impacts from the COVID-19 crisis. For economic impacts, the legislation includes 20bn to provide benefits for unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as 11.5bn for transfers to impoverished households. Afghanistan has also eased requirements to receive unemployment benefits and rental assistance to individuals whose economic and social situations have deteriorated because of the health crisis.
About one-quarter of a million individuals in Djibouti had requested direct aid prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through Djibouti, womens livelihood groups in remote parts of the country took actions to sustain public health and earn revenue during times of economic distress. As the risk for violence against children increased as a result of this pandemic, child protection services were undermined, partly because of measures implemented to contain the spread of the virus. Vaccines save approximately two million to three million lives each year, but COVID-19 threatens to reverse decades of progress made to reduce preventable deaths among children by hampering access to these vital services.
Efforts to mitigate this pandemics spread are upending food systems, disrupting health and nutrition services, destroying livelihoods, and threatening food security. There are alarming reports that COVID-19 is taking hold in rural populations, where poverty, malnutrition, and a lack of access to basic healthcare leave populations particularly vulnerable. Given our focus on poorest-of-the-poor, we are concerned that COVID-19s impacts among our beneficiary groups will be particularly stark. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, an incredible 78% of young people were out of work, creating ripple effects that may continue for generations.
Many countries created, or intensified, short-time work schemes to rescue jobs and provide workers with support during the COVID-19 crisis. This Policy Brief discusses measures countries have taken to support livelihoods for people who cannot access unemployment benefits or short-time work schemes.
In support of this plan, the World Bank-funded project on development response to displacement impacts in the Horn of Africa (DRDIP) has also responded rapidly, producing a response strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-January 2021, the IMF released $487 million USD of fiscal support, which was aimed at helping Albania to deal with the pandemic as well.