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	Developing Nations need help dealing with Coronavirus Pandemic by Reuters, IPS, Jubilee Debt Campaign, agencies   13 May 2020   300+ Global Lawmakers join call to protect Developing Countries from Economic Ruin.   U.S Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) led more than 300 international lawmakers across two dozen countries in a letter to the leadership of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today, calling on the international financial institutions to cancel low-income countries debt in response to the global COVID-19 crisis and provide a major infusion of financial support to avert a global economic meltdown.   'What this crisis shows us is that we have got to act as a global community - we truly are all in this together. That means protecting the most vulnerable amongst us', said Sanders. 'In the face of a horrific pandemic and a worldwide recession, we cannot allow poor countries to dedicate money that should be going towards protecting the health and safety of their people to pay off unsustainable debts.   We cannot allow these countries to be deprived of the resources they need to purchase food, medicine, protective gear, and medical equipment. The steps that our international coalition of lawmakers is proposing are not radical. It is the very least that these financial institutions should do to prevent an unimaginable increase in poverty, hunger, and disease that threatens hundreds of millions of people'.   'This is a global economic and public health crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetimes', said Rep. Omar. 'We as a global community must seize this opportunity to get relief to those who are suffering by cancelling debt for nations who cannot afford it. As the largest contributor to the IMF and the leading force behind the establishment of the World Bank, the United States should take the lead in this effort. I am humbled by the broad show of support for this policy on all six continents including former heads of state. We are all globally connected and must act as a collective to get us out of this crisis'.   The UN predicts that coronavirus crisis could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people - 8% of the total human population. The World Food Programme estimates that the number of people pushed to the brink of starvation due to the global economic crisis could double, to 265 million from 135 million, as a result of the pandemic.   Meanwhile, developing countries hold roughly $11 trillion in external debt, with $3.9 trillion of debt service due this year. Sixty-four countries currently pay more on debt servicing than on health care.   'The temporary suspension and deferment of debt will not be sufficient to help these countries fully prioritize the prompt and sustainable management of the crisis at hand', the coalition of lawmakers wrote, urging the heads of the World Bank and IMF to instead 'take strong leadership to provide extensive debt relief and financial assistance for all impoverished nations most at risk of the devastating human costs and the long-lasting economic injuries of COVID-19'.   This includes the deployment of trillions of dollars in global liquidity known as Special Drawing Rights, which are costless to avert major increases in poverty, hunger and disease.   Lawmakers involved in the initiative span the ideological spectrum.   http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-omar-lead-300-global-lawmakers-in-call-to-protect-developing-countries-from-economic-ruin   28 Apr. 2020   World needs $90 billion to protect 700 million most vulnerable people during coronavirus pandemic. (Press Trust of India, agencies)   Mark Lowcock, the UN humanitarian chief has told a video briefing that USD $90 billion could provide income support, food and a health response to the coronavirus pandemic for 700 million of the world's most vulnerable people a price tag just 1 per cent of the USD 8 trillion stimulus package the 20 richest countries put in place to safeguard the global economy.   Mr. Lowcock told the briefing most experts agree that the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't reached the poorest parts of the world, but may peak in the next three to six months.   He said some 700 million people - 10 per cent of the world's population - are most vulnerable and concentrated in about 40 countries who already experience difficulites requiring humanitarian assistance. They will see a big drop in incomes as the virus spreads and governments impose restrictive measures and lockdowns.   'If you wanted to protect them against that drop in income, then probably for about USD 60 billion you could do that', Lowcock said.   And for something like USD 30 billion, he said, people facing the threat of starvation can get food, and the health response to COVID-19 can be financed.   Mr. Lowcock said two-thirds of the USD 90 billion could come from international financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.   'They would need to change the terms on which they provide assistance to some people', he said. 'So, for example, they would need to reduce interest rates and provide some debt relief. But they have the firepower if they were given a bit more subsidy to probably meet about two-thirds of the costs'.   Mr. Lowcock said the remaining one-third could be financed by a one-time increase in government development assistance.He said the argument he's making is that a one-off 20 per cent increase 'will save donor countries having to deal with a 10-year problem'.   'USD 90 billion is a lot of money but it is an affordable sum of money', he said.   The UN is not going to appeal for USD 90 billion, Lowcock said, but what I am suggesting is a lot of the suffering and loss of life can be contained within sums of money which are achievable.   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched a global funding appeal on March 25 to help vulnerable and conflict-torn countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America tackle the coronavirus pandemic.   Mr. Lowcock said he is encouraged the appeal has received a little over USD 1 billion in one month, including 300 million euros from Germany. On May 7, he said, a revised appeal of USD 6.7 billion will be launched seeking additional resources because the pandemic is growing and new countries need help.   Mark Lowcock, who is the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said in the poorest parts of the world, 'the growth in COVID-19 case numbers is not yet as exponential as we've seen in, for example, in North America and Europe'.   But he said the curve is accelerating in African countries and cited recent modeling by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggesting that many African countries will have a thousand new cases a week by May 1, and a few weeks after that could be getting 10,000 cases a week.   Restrictive measures imposed by governments to tackle the pandemic are likely to have a bigger impact in poorer countries than wealthier ones because of the number of day laborers and hungry people who can't survive on their own resources, he said. 'But the biggest impacts, we expect will arise from the economic consequences of the pandemic', he said.   * 27/4: Total global military expenditure rose to $1917 billion in 2019, according to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The total for 2019 represents an increase of 3.6 per cent from 2018 and the largest annual growth in spending since 2010.   The five largest spenders in 2019, which accounted for 62 per cent of expenditure, were the United States, China, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Military spending by the United States was $732 billion in 2019 accounting for 38 per cent of global military spending; China's military expenditure reached $261 billion in 2019; India $71.1 billion; Russia $65.1 billion. http://bit.ly/2z0Qnwk   Mar. 2020   Governments in wealthy, first world countries must not ignore the plight of poorer nations battling the coronavirus or the disease will not be brought under control, global development experts have said.   As African nations slowly report growing numbers of cases, and more and more infections are registered in countries with endemic poverty, there are growing fears that some states could soon see major outbreaks they will not be able to cope with.   A potential overburdening of already vulnerable healthcare systems would not only have a drastic impact on population health, but could also push people further into poverty and deprivation, World Health Organisation (WHO) officials have told IPS.   But if developing countries are overwhelmed by the virus, there is a threat that the disease would rage on in developing countries, even if it is brought under control in developed states, and inevitably spread back into places like North America and Europe.   To avoid such a scenario, wealthy states must keep a focus on helping other countries with weak healthcare systems, despite the fact they are fighting their own battle with the disease, say experts.   'High income countries are completely consumed with what is happening in their own states, but it would be good if they could give at least some focus to poorer countries', Amanda Glassman, executive vice president of the Global Centre for Development told IPS.   'If things are not brought under control in less developed countries, it could come back to hurt developed countries later on', she added.   There have so far been more than 169,387 COVID-19 infections and 6,513 deaths, according to today's figures (15/3).   The past week saw an unprecedented shutdown of Europe and the United States, with widespread school, restaurant, cinema and museum closures. Several countries across Europe have closed their borders, with Germany being the latest to shutdown all non-essential travel.   While the vast majority of cases have been in China, where the virus was first detected, with Italy being the country with the second-highest most cases, followed by Iran, South Korea and Spain. Europe is now the epicentre of the pandemic.   Significant infections have been recorded in the United States and some other Asian countries, and the Philippines capital of Manila has been sealed off.   But while there have been far fewer registered cases of the disease in places like Africa and South America, many health experts believe that those numbers could very quickly rise dramatically.   Healthcare systems in many poor countries, especially in Africa, are already severely stretched with limited financing and resources. Access to hospitals, and especially intensive care units, are generally much lower than in developed nations - studies have estimated that less than half of Africa's population has access to modern health facilities.   Some countries also face extra burdens such as battling other endemic diseases, recent natural catastrophes, or coping with large-scale refugee influxes.   For example, Sub-Saharan Africa has been struggling with the Ebola virus and the locust invasion and associated famines. In many countries, resources are stretched thin.   Any major COVID-19 outbreak could affect incidence, and treatment of, other diseases in some African states, Dr Ambrose Talisuna, Programme Manager for Emergency Preparedness, at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, told IPS.   'We fear that the healthcare systems in some African countries could be completely paralysed. We saw this with Ebola [outbreaks in some African countries]. There was a diversion of resources to the disease and the healthcare system couldn't deal with the shock of the outbreak. People died of malaria, people couldn't get treatment for tuberculosis', he said.   Even countries with relatively developed healthcare systems could face similar problems. South Africa has the world's worst HIV/AIDS epidemic and it is not known how a major coronavirus outbreak may affect treatment for those with HIV/AIDS or outcomes if they are infected with COVID-19.   'We don't know what might happen with issues relating to COVID-19 infections and other conditions, such as HIV/AIDS', said Glassman.   In Latin America, where some two thirds of people live in poverty, doctors have already warned of the strain widespread coronavirus infections could put on hospitals and health workers.   Writing in the the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper last week, Drauzio Varella said: 'depending on the speed with which the epidemic spreads, the stress on our health system could be brutal.   There would also be serious economic problems. Not only would significant financial resources have to go into healthcare rapidly, but measures implemented to contain the virus's spread, such as travel restrictions, business closures, quarantines, would very soon affect people's incomes.   As we saw with Ebola, there can be a massive effect on the local economy and people's income. If people cannot travel because of restrictions and cannot do street trade, which is what some rely on to survive, then they will have nothing', said Talisuna.   Many countries, including some of the poorest in the world in Asia, Latin America and Africa, have begun introducing strict measures to try and halt the spread of the disease. These have included closing borders and mandatory quarantine.   While the WHO has supported the use of such measures, they have been shown to have had an enormous economic toll with sectors such as travel, transportation, tourism and retail, among others, all seriously affected.   Such costs cannot, and should not, be borne by developing nations alone, development experts say.   Earlier this month, the World Bank made $12 billion available in immediate support to help countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak. The International Monetary Fund has said $10 billion could be mobilised in loans to low-income countries tackling the virus. On Mar. 13 WHO and its partners launched the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund which aims to raise funds from private and corporate individuals to contribute to global response efforts.   Meanwhile, other money is being redirected from existing funding: for example the Global Fund for HIV, TB and malaria is to allow some funds to be used for the virus response while the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund global emergency response fund has made $15 million available. Much more could be done Glassman said. Multilateral investment banks need to boost their current lending.   A month ago the World Health Organization launched a $675 million preparedness plan hoping to contain the crisis and pave the way to deter future crises. That's less than 1 percent of the U.S. 2020 military budget. In late February, the European Commission earmarked $124 million for the WHO response plan, but other actors to date have not provided adequate funding.   Individual countries have pledged contributions to global efforts to fight the disease, either directly to other states and health groups, through multilateral organisations, or to the WHO.   No matter how it is funded, experts agree that developing countries must be given whatever help is needed to contain the disease.   If cases escape detection in poor countries, then it is more likely than not that weak healthcare systems, coupled with endemic poverty and social instability could result in a secondary epidemic with potential global impact.   If advanced economies hope to contain the global crisis, they can't afford to ignore developing economies.   25 Mar. 2020   A global approach is the only way to fight COVID-19, the UN says as it launches humanitarian response plan   To confront the unprecedented worldwide challenge posed by the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, the United Nations has launched a humanitarian appeal to assist in mitigating its worst impacts.   Having gained a foothold in 195 countries, COVID-19 is reaching more and more areas of the world grappling with conflict, natural disasters and climate change.   The UN chief stressed that a global approach is the only way to fight the coronavirus.   'COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity and so the whole of humanity must fight back', he said, underscoring that individual country responses are not going to be enough. Assisting the vulnerable - the millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves is not only a matter of basic human solidarity but also crucial for combating the virus, according to Mr. Guterres.   The interagency plan if properly funded, will save many lives and assist humanitarian agencies with laboratory supplies for testing and medical equipment to treat the sick while protecting health care workers.   Mr. Guterres said that if funding aimed to stem the impact of COVID-19 in vulnerable humanitarian contexts is diverted, the consequences could be catastrophic.   The UN humanitarian chief warned that failing to help vulnerable countries fight the coronavirus now could place millions at risk.   Pointing out that COVID-19 has already upended life in some of the world's wealthiest countries, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said that it is now reaching people living in warzones, with no soap and clean water and or hospital beds should they fall critically ill.   'If we leave coronavirus to spread freely in these places, we would be placing millions at high risk, whole regions will be tipped into chaos and the virus will have the opportunity to circle back around the globe', he spelled out.   He acknowledged that countries battling the pandemic at home, but added the hard truth that if they do not act now to help the poorest countries protect themselves, they would be failing to protect their own people.   'Our priority is to help these countries prepare and continue helping the millions who rely on humanitarian assistance from the UN to survive', he said.   'Properly funded, our global response effort will help equip humanitarian organizations with the tools to fight the virus, save lives, and help contain the spread of COVID-19 worldwide'.   The head of UNICEF said that children are 'the hidden victims of the COVID-19 pandemic'.   Lockdowns and school closures are affecting their education, mental health and access to basic health services. For children the consequences will be unlike any we have ever seen, she warned. We must not let them down.   She said that with support from the international community, among other things, we can shore up preparedness and response plans in countries with weaker healthcare systems and provide short and long-term assistance on the health, well-being, development and prospects of children.   http://www.unocha.org/story/un-issues-103b-coronavirus-appeal-and-warns-price-inaction http://reliefweb.int/report/world/un-issues-103-billion-coronavirus-appeal-and-warns-price-inaction-enar http://www.wfp.org/news/new-report-shows-hunger-due-soar-coronavirus-obliterates-lives-and-livelihoods http://webtv.un.org/watch/release-of-updated-covid-19-global-humanitarian-response-plan/6155022453001/ http://www.un.org/coronavirus http://reliefweb.int/report/world/covid-19-inequalities-and-building-back-better-policy-brief-hlcp-inequalities-task-team   Mar. 2020   Debt relief for the poorest countries critical in fight against COVID-19, by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.   'COVID-19 is generating an unprecedented global economic crisis. And as we witness in all such crises, this economic destruction is cruelly and unequally distributed.   For the world's poorest countries, the financial fallout caused by the pandemic, combined with debilitating debt-service obligations, are hampering their ability to prevent further transmission and protect citizens.   And for the families within those countries, with widespread loss of income and limited access to food in environments where social distancing is impossible, soap and water for handwashing a luxury, and quality health services non-existent, the situation is already dire, and it is only going to get worse.   While children are largely spared the immediate health consequences of the pandemic, they will suffer the economic destruction left in its wake. More than 200 million children live in debt-distressed countries and those at high risk of debt distress. The burden of debt leaves countries struggling to prevent disease transmission.   Low-income countries in particular are being forced to drastically increase spending to respond to the health emergency, while scaling up or, in some cases, creating social protection systems including unconditional cash transfers, guarantee of income for those who lose their jobs and employment security.   The additional spending required must not come at the cost of other critical services for children, such as routine immunization, maternity care, and child protection. At this crucial time, countries need to spend more to protect the future of their children.   To reduce disease transmission and prevent further economic catastrophe, UNICEF wholeheartedly joins the World Bank and IMF call for debt relief and debt restructuring for countries in need.   As the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted in his recent letter to the G20, debt restructuring is a priority including immediate waivers on interest payments for 2020. By relaxing the burden of debt financings, countries are more likely to deliver the agile and aggressive response required to reduce the impact of the economic crisis and stop COVID-19 in its tracks.   http://reliefweb.int/report/world/debt-relief-poorest-countries-critical-fight-against-covid-19 http://jubileedebt.org.uk/blog/debt-suspension-agreed-for-low-income-countries-to-help-fight-coronavirus http://jubileedebt.org.uk/press-release/g20-suspends-debt-payments-more-action-needed http://jubileedebt.org.uk/a-debt-jubilee-to-tackle-the-covid-19-health-and-economic-crisis-2 http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/g20-debt-moratorium-first-step-must-go-further-and-multilaterals-and-private http://bit.ly/2Vm881E http://jubileedebt.org.uk/uncategorized/coronavirus-worsens-debt-crisis-in-poor-countries http://concordeurope.org/2020/05/08/forging-a-path-to-an-equitable-future/ http://reliefweb.int/topics/covid-19   * Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University: http://coronavirus.jhu.edu/ Visit the related web page
	COVID-19 causes devastating losses in working hours and employment by International Labour Organization (ILO), ITUC   28 Apr. 2020   The latest ILO data on the labour market impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reveals the devastating effect on workers in the informal economy and on hundreds of millions of enterprises worldwide.   The continued sharp decline in working hours globally due to the COVID-19 outbreak means that 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy - that is nearly half of the global workforce - stand in immediate danger of having their livelihoods negatively impacted, warns the International Labour Organization.   According to the ILO Monitor third edition: COVID-19 and the world of work, the drop in working hours in the current (second) quarter of 2020 is expected to be significantly worse than previously estimated.   Compared to pre-crisis levels (Q4 2019), a 10.5 per cent deterioration is now expected, equivalent to 305 million full-time jobs (assuming a 48-hour working week). The previous estimate was for a 6.7 per cent drop, equivalent to 195 million full-time workers. This is due to the prolongation and extension of lockdown measures.   Regionally, the situation has worsened for all major regional groups. Estimates suggest a 12.4 per cent loss of working hours in Q2 for the Americas (compared to pre-crisis levels) and 11.8 per cent for Europe and Central Asia. The estimates for the rest of the regional groups follow closely and are all above 9.5 per cent.   Informal economy impact   As a result of the economic crisis created by the pandemic, almost 1.6 billion informal economy workers (representing the most vulnerable in the labour market), out of a worldwide total of two billion and a global workforce of 3.3 billion, have suffered massive damage to their capacity to earn a living. This is due to lockdown measures and/or because they work in the hardest-hit sectors.   The first month of the crisis is estimated to have resulted in a drop of 60 per cent in the income of informal workers globally. This translates into a drop of 81 per cent in Africa and the Americas, 21.6 per cent in Asia and the Pacific, and 70 per cent in Europe and Central Asia.   Without alternative income sources, these workers and their families will have no means to survive.   'For millions of workers, no income means no food, no security and no future. As the pandemic and the jobs crisis evolve, the need to protect the most vulnerable becomes even more urgent'. - Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General   The proportion of workers living in countries under recommended or required workplace closures has decreased from 81 to 68 per cent over the last two weeks. The decline from the previous estimate of 81 per cent in the second edition of the monitor (published April 7) is primarily a result of changes in China; elsewhere workplace closure measures have increased.   Worldwide, more than 436 million enterprises face high risks of serious disruption. These enterprises are operating in the hardest-hit economic sectors, including some 232 million in wholesale and retail, 111 million in manufacturing, 51 million in accommodation and food services, and 42 million in real estate and other business activities.   Urgent policy measures needed   The ILO calls for urgent, targeted and flexible measures to support workers and businesses, particularly smaller enterprises, those in the informal economy and others who are vulnerable.   Measures for economic reactivation should follow a job-rich approach, backed by stronger employment policies and institutions, better-resourced and comprehensive social protection systems.   International co-ordination on stimulus packages and debt relief measures will also be critical to making recovery effective and sustainable. International labour standards, which already enjoy tripartite consensus, can provide a framework.   'As the pandemic and the jobs crisis evolve, the need to protect the most vulnerable becomes even more urgent', said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. 'For millions of workers, no income means no food, no security and no future. Millions of businesses around the world are barely breathing. They have no savings or access to credit. These are the real faces of the world of work. If we don't help them now, these enterprises will simply perish'.   http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_743036/lang--en/index.htm   7 Apr. 2020 (ILO News)   More than four out of five people (81 per cent) in the global workforce of 3.3 billion are currently affected by full or partial workplace closures.   Workers and businesses are facing catastrophe, in both developed and developing economies, said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. 'We have to move fast, decisively, and together. The right, urgent, measures, could make the difference between survival and collapse'.   The ILO Monitor 2nd edition: COVID-19 and the world of work , which describes COVID-19 as the worst global crisis since World War II, updates an ILO research note published on 18 March. The updated version includes sectoral and regional information on the effects of the pandemic.   According to the new study, 1.25 billion workers are employed in the sectors identified as being at high risk of drastic and devastating increases in layoffs and reductions in wages and working hours. Many are in low-paid, low-skilled jobs, where a sudden loss of income is devastating.   Looked at regionally, the proportion of workers in these 'at risk' sectors varies from 43 per cent in the Americas to 26 per cent in Africa. Some regions, particularly Africa, have higher levels of informality, which combined with a lack of social protection, high population density and weak capacity, pose severe health and economic challenges for governments, the report cautions.   Worldwide, two billion people work in the informal sector (mostly in emerging and developing economies) and are particularly at risk.   Large-scale, integrated, policy measures are needed, focusing on four pillars: supporting enterprises, employment and incomes; stimulating the economy and jobs; protecting workers in the workplace; and, using social dialogue between government, workers and employers to find solutions, the study says.   'This is the greatest test for international cooperation in more than 75 years', said Ryder. 'If one country fails, then we all fail. We must find solutions that help all segments of our global society, particularly those that are most vulnerable or least able to help themselves'.   'The choices we make today will directly affect the way this crisis unfolds and so the lives of billions of people', he added. 'With the right measures we can limit its impact and the scars it leaves. We must aim to build back better so that our new systems are safer, fairer and more sustainable than those that allowed this crisis to happen'.   The COVID-19 crisis is expected to wipe out 6.7 per cent of working hours globally in the second quarter of 2020 - equivalent to 195 million full-time workers.   Large reductions are foreseen in the Arab States (8.1 per cent, equivalent to 5 million full-time workers), Europe (7.8 per cent, or 12 million full-time workers) and Asia and the Pacific (7.2 per cent, 125 million full-time workers).   Huge losses are expected across different income groups but especially in upper-middle income countries (7.0 per cent, 100 million full-time workers). This far exceeds the effects of the 2008-9 financial crisis.   The sectors most at risk include accommodation and food services, manufacturing, retail, and business and administrative activities.   The eventual increase in global unemployment during 2020 will depend substantially on future developments and policy measures. There is a high risk that the end-of-year figure will be significantly higher than the initial ILO projection, of 25 million.   http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_740893/lang--en/index.htm http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/coronavirus/lang--en/index.htm http://www.theelders.org/news/covid-19-joint-call-g20-coordination-health-and-economy http://jubileedebt.org.uk/a-debt-jubilee-to-tackle-the-covid-19-health-and-economic-crisis-2 http://www.wider.unu.edu/news/press-release-covid-19-fallout-could-push-half-billion-people-poverty-developing-countries http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/half-billion-people-could-be-pushed-poverty-coronavirus-warns-oxfam   http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_738742/lang--en/index.htm http://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/policy/april-monthly-briefing.html http://www.un.org/development/desa/en/covid-19.html http://bit.ly/34hdHBn http://bit.ly/2UxZUTX   Apr. 2020   World Bank predicts sharpest decline of Remittances in Recent History.   Global remittances are projected to decline sharply by about 20 percent, or by over $100 billion in 2020 due to the economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown. The projected fall, which would be the sharpest decline in recent history, is largely due to a fall in the wages and employment of migrant workers, who tend to be more vulnerable to loss of employment and wages during an economic crisis in a host country.   Remittances to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are projected to fall by 19.7 percent, representing a loss of a crucial financing lifeline for many vulnerable households.   Studies show that remittances alleviate poverty in lower and middle-income countries, improve nutritional outcomes, are associated with higher spending on education, health care and reduce child labor in disadvantaged households. A fall in remittances affects families' ability to spend on these areas as more of their finances will be directed to try to solve food shortages and immediate livelihoods needs.   Remittance flows are expected to fall across all World Bank Group regions, most notably in Europe and Central Asia (27.5 percent), followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (23.1 percent), South Asia (22.1 percent), the Middle East and North Africa (19.6 percent), Latin America and the Caribbean (19.3 percent), and East Asia and the Pacific (13 percent).   The future outlook for remittances remains as uncertain as the impact of COVID-19 on the outlook for global growth and on the measures to restrain the spread of the disease.   'Effective social protection systems are crucial to safeguarding the poor and vulnerable during this crisis in both developing countries as well as advanced countries. In host countries, social protection interventions should also support migrant populations', said Michal Rutkowski, Global Director of the Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice at the World Bank. http://bit.ly/3fbfnkT   http://www.ipsnews.net/2020/05/coronavirus-leads-nosedive-remittances-latin-america/ http://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-crisis-disrupts-flow-of-money-transfers-in-africa/a-53545871   Mar. 2020   COVID-19: Urgent economic stimulus and workplace measures required. (ITUC)   The International Trade Union Confederation and its Global Unions partners have today called for urgent action by governments and employers on the COVID -19 Crisis, with a statement adopted at the Council of Global Unions (CGU) meeting today in London.   ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow said: 'Governments must act to put in place urgent economic stimulus plans and workplace measures to protect the health and the income of workers and their families and stabilise the real economy.   The huge strains on health systems caused by COVID-19 are provoking massive public health challenges. Health workers are on the front line of the economic, social and health impacts of the crisis, and while workers in every sector are exposed to risk, we recognise the courage of health and care workers bearing the immediate brunt of mitigation and treatment.   Urgent economic stimulus packages must include the following: paid sick leave; maintenance of income to cover the cost of housing, electricity, food and other essential items; and extension of social protection for all workers regardless of their employment status.   This is the only way to sustain jobs and the economy, protect wages, the welfare of workers, and small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). The lessons of the 2008/9 crisis must dictate that the income support that working families need and businesses benefit from is the target, and not a bailout of banks and financial institutions.   Governments will need to cooperate and engage with multilateral institutions and monitor the devastation for countries less able to respond - as well as ensure vital aid necessary to guarantee the capacity to deal with the threats posed by COVID-19'.   Steven Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and Chair of the CGU, said: 'We acknowledge that this pandemic is a difficult environment to do business in, but employers must act decisively and responsibly to provide protections for workers throughout their supply chains. This must start with their duty of care to protect workers from transmission of COVID-19 and extend to protecting the wages of all employees regardless of their employment status, guaranteeing sick leave and flexible working conditions during the crisis.   We call on employers to prioritise the rights and welfare of workers as we collectively respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19'.   http://www.ituc-csi.org/covid-19-urgent-economic-stimulus http://www.ituc-csi.org/covid-19-responses http://www.ituc-csi.org/reform-imf-word-bank-covid-19 http://viacampesina.org/en/covid-19-small-scale-food-producers-stand-in-solidarity-and-will-fight-to-bring-healthy-food-to-all/ Visit the related web page
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