Category: COVID-19

Viewpoint by Jayasri Priyalal* SINGAPORE (IDN) – They are fighting an invisible enemy taking a warpath. Many countries grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic interpret the situation like a war. Frontline heroes are found in battlefield scenarios. These heroes come from different professions, medical and healthcare workers being the binding force, the rest including, security, transport, […]

Viewpoint by Thomas Marois and Maria Jose Romero * BRUSSELS (IDN) – Those who work in the world’s public development banks will meet virtually on November 11-12 to discuss their response to the Covid-19 pandemic and their role in a more sustainable future. This new summit, which they have called ‘Finance in Common’ (FiC), will […]

By Jacqueline Skalski-Fouts* This article discusses the economic and social impacts of the coronavirus pandemic with a particular focus on refugees, asylum seekers, and migrant workers. VIRGINIA, USA (IDN) – Migrant workers have been at the forefront of the world economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, as essential workers. And this with enormous risk to themselves. […]

By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA (IDN) – The UN World Health Organization (WHO) is alarmed at the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in Europe where nearly 700,000 cases were reported this week, the highest weekly incidence since the pandemic began in March. Overall, Europe has recorded more than seven million cases of COVID-19, with the jump […]

By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK (IDN) – The United Nations is concerned about corruption in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which it says is proving “to be even more damaging in its impact on the most vulnerable”. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described corruption as “criminal, immoral and the ultimate betrayal of public trust. It […]

By Jamshed Baruah GENEVA (IDN) – “The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift towards a more digital world. The changes we make now will have lasting effects as the world economy begins to recover,” says Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The acceleration of online shopping globally underscores the […]

By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA (IDN) – The world of work is deeply suffering from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Almost all of the planet’s workers, some 94 per cent, were living in countries with some type of workplace closure measures in place in May 2020, according to the UN Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on the World […]

News briefs compiled by Suresh Jaura* TORONTO | NEW DELHI (IDN) – A wide range of themes from informal workers to the multi-layered impact of Coronavirus spans this edition of briefs. For example, the loss of more than 120 million in April 2020 as a result of the lockdown, the absence of transparency in regard […]

By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) — The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening to deal a huge blow to global efforts for eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, two of the vital goals of the 17 SDGs. A new UN report expects more than 34 million people to fall below the extreme poverty line in 2020. […]

By Dani Johnson The writer is assigned to United States Army Garrison Ansbach in Germany’s southern state of Bavaria. This feature first appeared on U.S. Defense News on May 9. While the global media is focused on the impact of the disastrous impact of the corona virus on the U.S. and elsewhere around the world, […]