UN chief: Global poverty rose for first time in 22 years

2020 will forever be written in history books as the year of the Covid-19 pandemic. What began as a mysterious virus in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, quickly spread across the entire globe, leaving no continent, country, or community untouched, creating economic and humanitarian damage on a historic scale.

“Conflicts, climate change, and Covid-19 have created the greatest humanitarian challenge since the Second World War”, said António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, a few weeks ago.

“Together, we must mobilize resources and stand in solidarity with people in their darkest hour of need.”
Moreover, according to the UN chief, in 2020, global poverty rose for the first time in 22 years.

“Hunger is on the rise, and the number of acutely food-insecure people could reach 270 million by 2021. Movement restrictions coincided with planting periods for most of the staple crops in the SSA region, leading to food security challenges exacerbating even further in the coming months.”