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

Combined impact of Covid crisis, Ukraine war and tough measures by central banks taking heavy toll

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.