Many conflicts are exacerbated by policies of ethnic expulsion, exclusion, or annihilation. During the 1990s alone, there have been 39 major conflicts with at least 1,000 deaths per conflict in any one year. More than 4 million people have been killed in violent conflicts since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Over 100 million land mines are deployed worldwide. Anti-personnel land mines claim more than 25,000 casualties each year and obstruct reconstruction and development.
Reconstruction is slow, costly, and uncertain, and resources are limited.
Rapid response to the needs of countries potentially threatened by, in, or emerging from conflict is critical to enable and reinforce incipient peace processes, deter a resurgence of violence, and build a foundation for sustainable development. As a development institution, the Bank focuses on its comparative advantage, including rehabilitation of infrastructure, advice on economic policy, aid coordination, institution building, and investments in social sectors. The Bank was initially established in 1944 to support the reconstruction of post-war Europe. Internal guidelines for financing land mine clearance have been approved, and demining programs are underway in Azerbaijan, Bosnia, and Croatia. Contribution has also been made to the international Bosnian and Guatemalan peace processes, and rehabilitated critical infrastructure in Azerbaijan, Haiti, and Takjikistan.