Poor communities in Asia get a 'very thin trickle' of economic help during virus crisis, says UN
Governments of wealthy countries went into "whatever-it-takes" mode to boost their economies during the crisis, but low-income countries have delivered much smaller responses.
The UN found that the G-7 group of advanced countries are spending an average of 5.6% of their GDP to rescue their economies, while poorer countries in Asia have announced fiscal packages ranging between 0.02% to 0.8% of GDP. Although India set aside a large stimulus, only the equivalent of 0.8% of GDP is going to those who are vulnerable.
A health care worker checks the temperature in the Dharavi slums during Covid-19 pandemic, on June 20, 2020 in Mumbai, India.The amounts are "too small" and are "not up to the task of countering the devastating effect on the of vulnerable members of the population," authors of the paper wrote. Additionally, the funds may not be reaching those most in need, because programs often exclude "over half of the poorest members of society."
"We're finding it's a very thin trickle to the most vulnerable communities that have very little and have lost their jobs," said Kanni Wignaraja, director of UNDP's regional bureau for Asia and the Pacific. "They're the ones at most risk from the coronavirus. This is very worrying right now."last week that the majority of people who have lost their livelihoods are living below the poverty line or just above it.
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