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The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations, which has continuously given leverage loans and financial assistance to developing nations such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or most commonly known as the DRC, has received assistance from the World Bank in the form of social programs in order to induce and sustain economic development. Assisted investments fell in configuration with prevention of conflict, investing in education, and addressing environmental degradation. The DRC has an abundance of natural resources, the likes of which are minerals, water and livestock. Due to this abundance, the World Bank sees the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a developing nation with high possibility for economic growth, not only to the benefit of the country, but potentially to the entirety of the African continent. However, despite also being the third most populous country in Africa, around 64% of its population lives below the poverty line. The DRC repeatedly has a low Gross National Income (GNI) per capita and has a fragile state that remains in a slump after internal conflicts that began in the 1990's. Since, the DRC has been war ridden, it has faced many obstacles when attempting to achieve economic development. These obstacles are many, including internal protests, violence, inability to sustain economic growth, political instability, weak governance, and deforestation and degradation of their forests.

Continuously, the DRC

Projects and Alliances
The World Bank has an investment portfolio for the Democratic Republic of the Congo that includes 29 active projects totaling to 3.8 billion in US dollars, in association with the International Development Association (IDA), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The portfolio is divided among the sectors, with 63% targeting infrastructure, such as transportation, water and energy, 16% aimed at human development, 15% set aside for development of the private sectors and agriculture, and finally 6% is aiming to help governance and mining projects. The DRC's Country Assistance Strategy (CAS), implemented by the World Bank, aimed to help the country reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and increase growth rates came to a halt in 2017, and has been subjected to further review for noncompliance. However, as of 2018, the World Bank is developing a new country partnership framework, expected between the years of 2018 and 2021. This has happened before in between the years of 1992 and 1994, when the Bank ended all current and further help to the DRC due to corruption. It did not return with aid until late 2001, almost a decade later. In collaboration with the UN, there has been increased accomplishments in demobilizing combatants, raising education and increasing health. Other alliances with UNICEF and USAID, have helped in the protection of children's human rights. The World Bank sees youth as an instrumental motivator of economic growth. Unfortunately, the DRC still rates .37 out of 1, on the human capital index scale that takes in key determinants which calculate a child's chance of survival and, or, overall success.

IDA
The International Development association (IDA) has credited over 3.7 million in US dollars over the span of their relations with the DRC and approximately 5.5 million in US dollars in grants. These credits and grants help to bolster economic growth, it helps to reduce income and gender inequalities, and improve the living conditions of the population. As of 2018, a little over 1 million in US dollars of credit is currently being disbursed and about 2.7 million in US dollars in grants. The current credits (loans) and grants are financing projects that help with development, infrastructure, environmental rehabilitation, raising education levels, increasing women's rights and more to this degree.

IFC
The International Financial Corporation's (IFC), investments surmounts to over 429 million US Dollars, which fund projects committed to the development of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The IFC has 8 active projects that primarily focus on the manufacturing sector, expanding access to finance, The IFC assists the DRC to improve business movement, such as easement to obtaining permits, starting businesses and paying taxes. Additionally, the IFC created the Conflict Affected States in Africa (CASA) initiative to suggest methods of improving the DRC's overall investments and increasing support for small businesses. The IFC has primarily partnered with the World Bank in order to encourage further investments in the DRC. The IFC also works with the Organization for the harmonization in Africa of Business Law (OHADA), in order to induce further economic growth. Management training programs, have been offered by the IFC, which have helped in the growth of local, small businesses in the DRC.

MIGA
As of late 2018, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency has not contributed any guarantees to the DRC. Prior contributions have helped the DRC in infrastructure building and rehabilitation of their private sector. Between 2009 and 2016, MIGA contributed more than 187 million, US dollars, worth of guarantees to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Most projects are compliant to securing shareholder loans and building infrastructure to obtain more foreign investment. This can alternatively help to addresses the infrastructure crisis that dominates the degradation of roads and infrastructure because of past and current conflict.

Importance
The World Banks involvement in the DRC, has been both beneficial and highly controversial. This is primarily because of the observable growth that has surmounted and the problems that remain.