Aid spending soared to record level in Pacific islands as COVID-19 hit

FILE PHOTO: A man pushes a woman in wheelchair past a poster with a graphic of medical workers at a nucleic acid testing booth for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) , in Beijing, China October 27, 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

A record $3.3 billion in aid flowed to the Pacific islands in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a 33% increase on the previous year, according to a report released by the Lowy Institute think-tank on Monday.

The pandemic led to border closures, confronting governments reliant on tourism with economic crisis. It also brought a shift in how aid was delivered, with more loans than grants made, and more direct funding to help deliver critical services.