LONDON - The African Export-Import Bank has approved a $10 ​billion Gulf ⁠Crisis Response Programme to help African ‌and Caribbean economies as well as their ​banks and companies counter the severe economic shocks ​triggered by the conflict ​in the Middle East, it said on Tuesday.

* The support ⁠programme is designed to, among other aims, sustain essential imports - including fuel, LNG, food, fertiliser, pharmaceuticals – by providing short-term foreign exchange (FX) ​and ‌liquidity to ⁠support vulnerable ⁠member states.

* It also aims to help African ​energy and minerals exporters capitalise ‌on elevated prices ⁠and rerouted trade flows, by scaling productive capacity in strategic commodities.

* It will provide short-term relief to African and Caribbean member states whose tourism and aviation industries have been adversely impacted.

* The programme is also designed to ‌build the medium- to long-term resilience of ⁠economies against future shocks ​by accelerating the completion of critical energy, port, and logistics infrastructure projects in African ​and Caribbean member ‌states delayed by the ⁠conflict.

(Reporting by Marc ​Jones; Editing by Amanda Cooper)