Post by UNDP

The ongoing military escalation in the Middle East puts tens of millions of people at risk of falling into poverty across 162 countries, according to our new projections. While the impacts are concentrated in countries directly affected by the conflict and those dependent on imported energy, the findings point to significant longer-term harm to poorer countries far removed from the fighting. Now in its 6th week, and despite the temporary ceasefire, the impacts are evolving from an ‘acute’ to an ‘enduring’ phase. The longer this phase continues, the greater the risk of accelerated lapses into poverty in vulnerable countries, the brief reveals. Under the worst-case scenario, an additional 32 million people could be pushed into poverty. Countries in the Gulf region, Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Small Island Developing States are uniquely vulnerable. Our new brief sets out policy options for countries to help mitigate the effects of the conflict under each projected scenario. Read below and learn more at: https://go.undp.org/T4k