Guterres: COVID pandemic forced over 100M people into poverty

The COVID pandemic has forced more than 100 million people into poverty, and more than 4 billion have little or no social support, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank event, Report informs referring to the UN website.

“The pandemic has forced more than 100 million people into poverty, and more than four billion have little or no social support, healthcare, or income protection when they so urgently need it,” he noted.

Turning to vaccine inequality, the UN chief called it “a moral outrage that is condemning the world to millions of more deaths and prolonging an economic slowdown that could cost trillions of dollars, hitting the poorest countries hardest of all.”

He upheld the need for a “bold collective push” to end the pandemic and deliver a sustainable, inclusive global recovery – with a global vaccination plan that reaches everyone, everywhere.