Pandemic could push half a billion people 30 years back to poverty

Half a billion people risk falling into poverty in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a new report has warned.

In regions such as the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, the adverse effects of the virus could lead to poverty levels similar to those recorded 30 years ago, a research released by the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-Wider) has cautioned.