IMF chief: Covid will widen inequality without global action

Kristalina Georgieva says support for most vulnerable countries must be stepped up

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The head of the International Monetary Fund has given a stark warning that Covid-19 will lead to a lost generation unless urgent steps are taken to prevent the pandemic widening the gap between rich and poor countries.

Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF's managing director, said financial support for the most vulnerable countries had to be stepped up to prevent long-time scarring that would roll back anti-poverty efforts of recent decades.