CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19

The document examines how the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone led to a sharp decline in energy sector financing as Official Development Assistance (ODA) was redirected toward immediate health emergencies. It argues that this siloed approach undermined long-term healthcare resilience, as reliable electricity is critical for medical services. To avoid repeating these mistakes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the brief recommends integrated planning between the energy and health sectors, increased de-risking of private investments, and the use of renewable energy for economic recovery.

• During the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, international funding for the energy sector declined sharply, with ODA commitments for energy averaging only 5% of total ODA commitments between 2011 and 2018.
• Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Sierra Leone peaked between 2014 and 2016 due to the health crisis, with health-related projects and emergency responses accounting for over 75% of total commitments in 2014.
• There was a significant gap between financial commitments and actual disbursements for energy projects post-2015, with average disbursements reaching only one-fifth of total commitments, while health sector disbursements remained 1.5 to 2 times higher than commitments.
• The Ebola outbreak caused severe implementation delays and cancellations of energy projects, including a USD 16 million World Bank and DFID project intended to install solar lighting and refrigeration in rural health centres.
• Sierra Leone experienced a severe decline in overall ODA commitments post-Ebola, with an average annual decline of 28% from 2016 to 2018, the largest among low-income African economies.
• Lack of reliable electricity severely hinders healthcare; globally, approximately 70% of medical equipment in developing countries is non-functional due to inadequate power, and 59% of healthcare facilities in 46 low- and middle-income countries lack reliable electricity.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2020). CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-10/EF-Energy-Sector-Financing-Sierra-Leone.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19. 2020. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-10/EF-Energy-Sector-Financing-Sierra-Leone.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19 |date=1 October 2020 |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-10/EF-Energy-Sector-Financing-Sierra-Leone.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2020changes, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-10/EF-Energy-Sector-Financing-Sierra-Leone.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }