Islamabad, Sep 11 - The World Bank Friday approved two projects totaling $300 million to help Pakistan strengthen its social safety nets and improve higher education.

Of the total, $200 million has been allocated for the Pakistan social safety nets development policy credit that is designed to establish an institutional and operational framework for an efficient national safety net system, Online news agency reported.

The policy credit, along with the Pakistan social safety net technical assistance project approved in June 2009, will strengthen the Benazir Income Support Programme that aims to cushion the negative effects of the food crisis and inflation on poor people.

'Pakistani households are highly vulnerable to income shocks and existing social assistance programmes cover only a very small fraction of the poor,' said Yusupha Crookes, the World Bank country director for Pakistan.

'Assisting the poor and the vulnerable is a key objective of the government's poverty reduction strategy.