In announcing the loan to Zambia, the World Bank said "Zambia is in debt distress and needs a deep and comprehensive debt treatment to place public debt on a sustainable path."
The World Bank funding comes after the copper-rich nation in early September scored a $1.3-billion International Monetary Fund loan to restore fiscal stability.
In 2020 Zambia became the first African country during the Covid-19 era to default on its foreign debt -- estimated at $17.3 billion.
When President Hakainde Hichilema took over the country in historic elections last year, he promised to restore Zambia's credibility and creditworthiness after inheriting an economy strapped for cash and crippled by debt.
Last month, Hichilema told parliament that things were starting to look up for the "broken economy" of the southern African country.
He said Zambia's economy is expected to bounce back and reach four-percent growth in the medium term, after having contracted by 2.8 percent in 2020 -- the first pandemic year.