Decades of progress on extreme poverty now in reverse due to Covid

Analysis: The pandemic, combined with the climate crisis and crippling debt burdens, has led to an unprecedented increase' in poverty, experts warn

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Two decades of progress in the reduction of extreme poverty, the elimination of which is one of the sustainable development goals, have been pushed into a sharp reverse by a combination of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the growing climate emergency and increasing debt.

With the World Bank warning of a truly unprecedented increase" in levels of poverty this year, and renewing calls for debt forgiveness, experts are warning of a growing crisis in multiple areas from education to employment, likely to be felt for years to come.