Climate-Related Disasters Pose ‘Major’ Growth Threat in Middle East, Central Asia, Warns IMF

This photo shows a dry land that was once fertile and green, in Second Village, Qouta town, Fayoum, Egypt, Aug. 8, 2020. (AP)

The frequency and severity of climate-related disasters are rising faster in the Middle East and Central Asia than anywhere in the world, posing a "major threat" to growth and prosperity, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said.

A new International Monetary Fund paper showed that climate disasters in the region injured and displaced 7 million people in an average year, causing more than 2,600 deaths and $2 billion in physical damage.