Snapshot review of Two World Bank COVID-19 Health support programs in Egypt provide “immediate response to an eligible crisis or emergency, as needed”, we assess the extent to which this statement stands. A recent case that has been widely publicized in independent media (Mada Masr and The New York Times) reveals a possible counteraction to the aforementioned assertion of the World Bank that Egypt is intensifying its information sharing process13. The spread of a video shot in the ICU of Al- Husseiniya Hospital in the governorate of Sharqiyah showcases the death of four COVID19 patients to what is alleged as the result of defects in medical oxygen supply. Al-Husseiniya hospital is a designated COVID-19 treatment and isolation hospital. This designation was a recent development according to a nurse that works at the hospital. She asserts that the hospital was designated a COVID-19 isolation hospital during the first wave, then subsequently removed in September, only to be added onto the list on December 25, 2019. This development, she alleges, which happened with no forewarning, left hospital workers overwhelmed with cases beyond their capacities14. The “Egypt COVID-19 Emergency Response Loan'' was meant to support operations of designated isolation hospitals in Egypt, however, with the lack of information about the project process, it is impossible to ascertain whether the project was involved in this incident. Witnesses, medical staff, and external doctors all found that the deaths were a cause of oxygen shortage; however, the statements provided by the ministry counteracts this claim. The ministry and the governor of Sharqiyah both declared that the deaths were unrelated to oxygen shortage. This was followed by banning filming or photography of any kind inside COVID-19 medical facilities. There are two narratives with regards to this case, publications like the New York Times (NYT) and Mada Masr allege that this demonstrates a lack of transparency on the government’s part. However, the GOE denies this, publishing the quantities of oxygen available to combat the virus, as well as many other articles. It is notable that the GOE disclosed that their death toll could be inaccurate. These discrepancies illustrate the difficult task that the World Bank has in aligning its policies within the active projects in the country. NYT, for example, points out that the arrest of doctors at the beginning of the pandemic is a challenge to the Bank; pertaining to the statement that they “would not tolerate ‘reprisals and retaliation against those who share their views about Bank-financed projects'’”. In response, a spokesperson declined to comment on whether this would have a possible impact on funding to Egypt15. It is unclear whether this is the reason for the delay in disbursement, as parliamentary approval was granted as early as July 2020. A clear statement cannot be made on which narrative is the more accurate one, however the existence of such discrepancies demonstrates a possible impact that it could have on the implementation of the Bank’s projects in the country. 13 El-Naggar, Mona, and Yousur Al-Hlou. “Egypt Denied an Oxygen Failure Killed Covid Patients. We Found That It Did.” The New York Times , January 18, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/18/world/middleeast/egypt-hospital-oxygen-covid.html. 14 Mamdouh, Video of ICU Deaths Shines Spotlight on Struggling Healthcare System amid Coronavirus Surge 15 Walsh, Declan. “Sisi Promised Egypt Better Health Care. Virus Exposed His True Priority.” The New York Times . November 11, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/world/middleeast/egypt-sisicoronavirus-healthcare.html. 10