The Executive Director of the World Food Organization of the United Nations, David Beasley, said today, Friday, that poor people have borne the brunt of the economic crisis resulting from the pandemic, as they lost about 3.7 trillion dollars in income.
Zurich – Sputnik. During his speech at the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony in Oslo, the head of the World Food Program described the gap between the rich and the poor as “one of the biggest problems of the modern age”, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
“Covid’s impact has been devastating on the global economy, wiping out $3.7 trillion in income, mostly among the poor, while food prices, at the same time, are on the rise,” Beasley added.
And while those already living in poverty and struggling to access basic necessities, including food, lost most of their income, billionaires gained an additional $1.8 trillion during the pandemic.
He pointed out that the critical food situation arose in conflict areas and in low-income countries mostly as a result of the skyrocketing transportation prices, which in some cases jumped by 400%.
For example, in war-torn Syria, food is now seven times more expensive than it was two years ago, according to the head of the World Food Program.
Currently, more than 800 million people worldwide suffer from malnutrition, while 45 million people face starvation, according to the World Food Program.
The world’s poor have lost $3.7 trillion in income due to the pandemic
