UN expects 14 million people in Arab nations to be forced into poverty

Millions of people in Arab countries are expected to be forced into poverty as the pandemic shrinks the region’s economy, according to the UN.

Millions of people in Arab countries are expected to be forced into poverty as the pandemic shrinks the region’s economy, according to the UN.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has topped 15 million globally, with the US, Brazil and India all recording numbers in the millions.

Meanwhile, the United States will pay nearly $2.7 billion to buy enough of a COVID-19 vaccine still under development to inoculate 50 million people if it proves to be safe and effective

The coronavirus pandemic is taking a heavy toll on Arab countries, causing an economic contraction of 5.7 per cent this year and pushing millions into poverty, a UN report said on Thursday.

The UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia expects some Arab economies to shrink by up to 13 per cent — an overall loss for the region of around $212 billion.

Another 14.3 million people are expected to be pushed into poverty, raising the total number to 115 million — a quarter of the total Arab population.

More than 55 million people in the region relied on humanitarian aid before the COVID-19 crisis, including 26 million who were forcibly displaced.

Rola Dashti, the head of the UN commission, said Arab countries need to “turn this crisis into an opportunity” and address longstanding issues including weak public institutions, economic inequality and over-reliance on fossil fuels.

“We need to invest in survival, survival of people and survival of businesses,” she said.