The Guardian view on the global crisis: where is the rescue and recovery plan? | Editorial

The vacuum left by the G20 will leave the world's poorest nations battered by Covid-19 and with a fraction of the wealth required to revive themselves

No country is emerging unscathed from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the impact on the world's poorest countries is especially severe. Extreme poverty is on the rise and underfunded health systems are woefully ill-prepared to cope with the virus. The number of children in Africa dying of preventable diseases is increasing. The gains made in development since the turn of the millennium are being reversed.

The international community is well aware of what's happening. More than 100 countries have sought financial help from the International Monetary Fund. The IMF's sister organisation, the World Bank, says emerging market and developing economies will shrink by 2.5% this year, their first collective contraction in 60 years. The G20 - the body that brings together the biggest players from the developed and developing worlds - has recognised that oppressively high debt levels make it impossible for low-income countries to boost health spending.