According to the World Bank, the economic shock is expected to aggravate unemployment and poverty in the Arab region. Initial estimates show that the region could lose approximately $42 billion in income this year because of the pandemic. A surge in unemploymentAccording to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Arab region is expected to witness a loss of 6 million full-time jobs in the second quarter of 2020. In addition, the Arab region may witness a diminished middle-income class, pushing 8.3 million more of the region’s people into poverty and leading to an additional 1.9 million people becoming undernourished. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of regional solidarity and cooperation while exposing the fallacy of go-it-alone isolationism.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 03, 2020 15:41 UTC