This comes as hundreds of billions of people are struggling to in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe after cyclone Idai swept inland.

The financing will support the government’s plan to improve financial protection against natural disasters, strengthen disaster preparedness and response and build climate resilience into education infrastructures.

“As we approve this financing, my thoughts go to the families of those who perished during the cyclone Idai and the flooding season in the centre of Mozambique,” said Mark Lundell, World Bank country director for Mozambique.

“We will ensure that $9m of this financing be made available for emergency as soon as the project becomes effective.”

It is estimated that the program will directly benefit a total of 3,360,000 people, the World Bank said.

Mozambique’s exposure to climate shocks is made worse by the effects of climate change, it added.

Without changes in climate and disaster risk management and financing policy, climate change is expected to cause economic damages of up to $7.4bn during the period 2003–50 in Mozambique, the statement said.