
The Board of
Directors of the African Development Bank on Wednesday approved a $500,000
emergency assistance grant to support international recovery efforts after a significant oil
spill earlier this year off the coast of Mauritius.
The funding, to be sourced from the Special Relief Fund, will complement
ongoing activities by the government of Mauritius, development partners, and
other actors to undertake salvaging and cleaning operations, conduct damage and
loss assessments, along with other socio-economic evaluations. The United
Nations has assumed a lead role in coordinating the response.
“The $500,000 emergency assistance grant from the African Development Bank to
Mauritius is an important contribution to the International Recovery effort
towards restoring the pristine marine ecology, so important for livelihoods in
the blue economy and tourism sectors, which is now threatened by the
unfortunate oil spill,” said Martin Fregene, Bank Director for Agriculture
& Agro-industry.
More than 1,000 tons of oil have leaked into the Indian Ocean since a carrier
vessel ran aground off the Mauritius coast on 25 July. Rescue teams
successfully pumped out about 3,800 tons of oil and the government declared a
state of emergency and has ordered fishermen and citizens to stay away from the
beaches and lagoons around the communities of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and
Mahebourg.
The oil spill has resulted in health, conservation and economic challenges. The
country relies heavily on the blue economy, particularly food and tourism, and
its coastline has some of the world’s most pristine coral reefs. The general
population remains at ongoing risk of severe illness from petroleum and its
associated pollutants.
The country had hoped to reopen its borders to tourists following a successful
response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the spill has delayed those plans.
In May 2020, the Bank approved €188 million euros in loans to bolster the
country’s national budget as it mounted a response to the pandemic.
As of 1 August 2020, the Bank had four ongoing operations in its country
portfolio with a valuation of $458.8 million.
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