UN expert: Pandemic's worst impacts on poverty yet to come
Geneva: The United Nations independent expert on poverty has warned that the worst impacts from the coronavirus pandemic on poverty are yet to come, and that measures taken by governments to protect people so far have been insufficient.
The social safety nets put into place are full of holes, said Olivier De Schutter, a Belgian legal scholar appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.
These current measures are generally short-term, the funding is insufficient and many people will inevitably fall between the cracks, De Schutter said.
His message was directed to world leaders meeting this month for the UN General Assembly. He called on them to take more decisive steps to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities, according to a UN statement released on Friday.
De Schutter said the economic downturn resulting from the pandemic is unprecedented in times of peace since the Great Depression in the 1930s.
He warned that 176 million additional people worldwide could fall into poverty, with 3.20 per day being used as the poverty baseline.
Even though governments have pledged social schemes to help, the world's poorest people are often excluded because they don't have the digital literacy or internet access, he said.
In some cases, government programs are now running out.
Families in poverty have by now used up whatever reserves they had and sold their assets, he said. The worst impacts of the crisis on poverty are still to come.
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KKR defeat LSG via Super Over
Lucknow (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders edged Lucknow Super Giants via Super Overs in a battle between two bottom-placed teams in the IPL, here on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 156, LSG suffered a batting collapse and managed to tie the contest and take it to Super Over with No. 9 Mohammed Shami striking a last-ball six against a wayward Kartik Tyagi, who leaked 16 runs in the final over.
But Sunil Narine bowled a stunning Super Over conceding just one run and taking two wickets to give KKR an easy target.
Rinku Singh then finished the chase with a boundary off first ball from Prince Yadav.
Earlier the KKR were in deep trouble with 93/7 in 15 overs but Rinku smashed a sensational 83 not out from 51 balls including four sixes in a row in the final over to lift them to 155/7.
Cameron Green (34) was the only other batter to reach double-digit scores as KKR suffered a familiar batting meltdown with Mohsin taking his maiden fifer.
In reply, LSG continued their dismal show with the bat to succumb to their fifth loss in a row.
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 155/7; 20 overs (Rinku Singh 83 not out, Cameron Green 34; Mohsin Khan 5/23). Lucknow Super Giants 155/8; 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 42). KKR won via Super Over.
