World Bank threatens to cut Lebanon’s vaccine aid over line-jumping

  • Date: 25-Feb-2021
  • Source: The Daily Tribune - News of Bahrain
  • Sector:Financial Services
  • Country:Lebanon
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World Bank threatens to cut Lebanon’s vaccine aid over line-jumping

The World Bank threatened on Tuesday to suspend its multi-million-dollar financing for Lebanon's COVID-19 vaccinations over politicians jumping the line.

Local media and officials said some lawmakers got shots in parliament on Tuesday while other Lebanese in the priority groups were still waiting their turn, drawing a rebuke from the doctor leading the campaign and outrage on social media.

The World Bank's reallocation of $34 million enabled Lebanon to receive its first two batches of about 60,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses this month.

The bank has monitored the rollout to ensure the first shots go to healthcare workers and the elderly. It had warned against favouritism in the country, where decades of state waste and corruption have triggered a financial meltdown.

“Upon confirmation of the violation, World Bank may suspend financing for vaccines and support for