The United Nations labor agency on Wednesday warned that some 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy — nearly half of the world’s workforce — are in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed by the economic catastrophe triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This comes as the World Bank and other groups say some 100 million people living in densely populated cities around the globe will likely fall into poverty due to the pandemic. In related news, the World Food Programme and UNICEF warn some 370 million children are missing out on school meals amid school closures due to the pandemic. The World Food Programme earlier this week issued an alert about a potential massive rise in global food insecurity, particularly in East African countries.

Elisabeth Byrs: “Twenty million people are now food-insecure in nine countries in the region: Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti and Eritrea.”