The World Bank Group has announced the creation of a $2 billion fast-track facility to speed up grants and longterm interest-free loans to help the world's poorest countries to cope with the impact of the global financial crisis.

The International Development Association (IDA) Financial Grisis Response Fast-Track Facility, approved by the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors in Washington on Tuesday, will allow the Bank Group to provide rapid funding for social safety nets, infrastructure, education, and health.

"The poorest people will be hit the hardest by the crisis that is likely to get worse next year. Our Global Economic Prospects report projects developing country growth will be 4.5 percent next year, down from 7.9 percent in 2007. We want to

help countries manage this downturn with rapid financing to help minimise its impacts and by assisting them in designing supportive policies,” said World Bank Group President Robert B Zoellick.

He also said the facility would fast-track an initial $2 billion of the $42 billion of IDA 15 resources available to 78 of the world's poorest countries over the coming three years.

Zoellick said: "We cannot afford business as usual. Wc need a human rescue package, not just a financial rescue package, and we need a new rapid response capability to make sure the money gets quickly to where it is most needed.”

Already 100 million people have been driven into poverty as a result of high food and fuel prices, he said, adding: “We estimate that a 1 percent decline in developing country growth rates will trap 20 million more people in poverty."

The facility will foster rapid bank response to the pressing needs of IDA coun tries based on more swift World Bank analysis of those needs.

It will finance expenditures needed to maintain economic stability and sustain growth, address volatility, and protect the poor.

World Bank Group chief also said the operational responses will include funding budget expenditures in infrastructure services, education and health and social safety nets.

“We hope that our development partners will also benefit from our early assessment of what these countries need to help anticipate, pre-empt and manage the crisis," said the bank's Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo Iweala.

The new IDA Facility builds on the Food Crisis facility created earlier this year to support countries hit hard by the food crisis.