The impact of the coronavirus pandemic will impoverish 8.3 million people in the Arab world, and more than 50 million will need humanitarian assistance, the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Rola Dashti reports.
"This will lead 8.3 million people to impoverishment... The threat is increasing due to the lack of minimum social protection on the part of a number of Arab countries. As a result, a food shortage is projected for 1.9 million people", reads, in particular, a document published on the Commission's website.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, 55 million residents of Arab countries are expected to need humanitarian assistance.
The representative of the international organization called on the Arab countries to take urgent measures to save millions of people from hunger.
According to the latest WHO data, at the moment the coronavirus was detected in 827 419 people around the world, 40 777 patients died.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Adel Hana / AP / TASS