Poorest countries are biggest losers from economic shocks, says World Bank

Patients suspected of having Covid at a makeshift clinic in Delhi, India. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the global economy. Photograph: Getty

The world’s poorest countries are the biggest losers from a global economy failing to cope with the combined impact of the Covid pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the tough anti-inflationary measures taken by central banks, the World Bank has said.

In its half-yearly update, the Washington-based body said the international community was well off course to meet the UN’s 2030 anti-poverty development goals and warned of the risk of a fresh debt crisis for the most vulnerable countries.