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6 Facts About COVID-19’s Impact on South Korea

COVID-19's Impact on South KoreaOriginating from Asia, it is no surprise that COVID-19 has affected many Asian countries. However, there is one prominent country that has persevered despite the drastic impacts of the pandemic — South Korea. Shrouded in technology, entertainment and education, South Korea has transformed itself from a lower-developed economy to a high-income leader in innovation. COVID-19 has impacted South Korea for better and for worse. Here are six facts about COVID-19’s impact on South Korea.

6 Facts About COVID-19’s Impact on South Korea

  1. With a strong economic connection to China, South Korea was one of the first countries to report coronavirus cases. Forty days after South Korea’s first case on January 20, 2020, the country confirmed close to 1,000 cases. The cases only increased in number due to inadequate understanding of the severity of the virus. Therefore, after this spike, the country made great efforts to contain the outbreak and educate its citizens. For instance, South Korea successfully implemented mandatory masking and accessible testing as well as advanced contact tracing. Currently, although there were more than 269,000 COVID-19 cases in South Korea as of September 10, 2021, the country has a contrasting number of around 2,300 total deaths.
  2. Multiple countries praise South Korea’s well-executed plan to persist during the pandemic. Korea is notable for these concepts: early plan, speed and awareness. To begin with, there was an immediate and early response to the first case, allowing for fast prevention. Also, the government focused on moving quickly in implementing COVID-19 regulations and notifying the public with information and safety guidelines. Hence, internationally, South Korea became a top model for dealing with the virus.
  3. To prevent the spread of the virus, the world and South Korea limited travel. Travel in and out of South Korea decreased significantly along with tourism. The OECD has stated that these financial risks of limited travel can lead to rising unemployment, which can be detrimental to those in poverty. Korea’s exports have reduced as well, decreasing dramatically as China started shutting down certain systems for safety and health purposes. For instance, in April 2020, 24.3% of exports dropped and caused many losses. In response, South Korea developed a plan called the Korea New Deal in order to invest in advanced technology and the well-being of workers.
  4. South Korea has one of the highest rates of elderly poverty. Most elderly South Koreans sell box scraps, run street food stations and clean unsanitary areas to survive. Thus, the country implemented stronger social protection and stable labor market regulations. South Korea also implemented safe social distancing procedures in 250,000 jobs.
  5. The eruption of COVID-19 negatively impacted many lives but accelerated research efforts. Multiple health authorities collaborated in private laboratories to uncover the efficacy of contact tracing, rapid regulatory tests and screening clinics. The country attempted several data tests and experiments, and in doing so, South Korea discovered more about the actual SARS-CoV-2 and better prevention methods. Scientific and mechanical technology has also improved for the better and advancements have become more rapid. Therefore, seemingly, COVID-19’s impact on South Korea includes more than direct health-related scenarios.
  6. Leaders of South Korea prioritize providing the public with current and up-to-date information and distinct guidelines on how to prevent infection. According to Exemplars in Global Health, South Korea was able to respond fast to COVID-19 due to its experience with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) back in 2015, which presented a similar health crisis. To fight misinformation during the pandemic, authorities are focusing on providing the nation with regular and accurate COVID-19 information.

Concluding Thoughts

COVID-19’s impact on South Korea comes with twists and turns, however, although there are many troubles, the country has solutions. History has seen South Korea rise up from its colonization to a booming economy. This East Asian country is now attempting to prevent an increase in COVID-19 cases through a comprehensive plan.

The virus is mutating and the Delta variant is only worsening countries’ conditions. As a result, the mask mandates that South Korea recently lifted are back in place. However, South Korea’s progress and plans so far indicate that it is well-prepared to mitigate any further consequences of COVID-19.

– Minjae Eum
Photo: Flickr

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Fighting Social Acceptance of Child Marriage in India

Child Marriage in India
Soon after her wedding to a man seven years older than her, 14-year-old Muskaan told Delhi photojournalist Saumya Khandelwal that her marriage “had to happen.” Muskaan, who is from India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, reflected on the region’s social acceptance of child marriage in India.

Child Marriage in India

Despite India’s attempts to curb child marriage through legislation, the damaging practice persists. About 27% of all Indian girls marry before their 18th birthday, with this statistic being higher in rural areas. Meanwhile, the northern states of Bihar and Rajasthan see between 47% and 51% of their young girls married as children.

Still, progress has occurred. While almost 47% of Indian girls 18 and younger married between 2005 and 2006, this rate dropped to 18% between 2015 and 2016. Key influences have been government programs that promote women’s education and empowerment. The improvements were undoubtedly clear and especially impactful in increasing the presence of women in higher education and the workforce, paving the way for a generation of independent and educated young women. However, local developments under COVID-19 have unearthed the social acceptance of child marriage in India and the factors that erode local approval.

COVID-19 in India

India’s official COVID-19 case count stood at a staggering 32.2 million as of August 14, 2021. The country faced a four-phase lockdown in 2020 along with several states instating rigid curfews. The economic impacts of these necessary public health measures have been disastrous as the Indian government estimates that the nation’s GDP shrank by almost 8% since the beginning of the pandemic. Meanwhile, up to 75 million people have slipped into poverty, only earning a meager income of 150 rupees or around $2 per day.

Specifically, the Indian informal economy seems to have taken the hardest hit. Comprising farm workers, construction workers and migrant laborers, this sector has no access to political support or union representation. With meager amounts of government aid reaching these vulnerable workers, many headed back to their homes in rural India hoping for reduced living costs.

Government Aid

Many of the Indian government’s schemes to help lower-income families centered around schools to encourage education. Government-run schools provided breakfast and lunch to their students free of cost prior to the pandemic, but with students learning from home, the program quickly ended. Parents who sent their daughters to school received compensation under one of the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” campaign’s many programs in 2015.

However, the education programs faced a lack of funding despite being instrumental in balancing the male-female sex ratio in 108 districts. Simply put, the government’s programs have not met their full potential, limiting how well Indian leaders can address child marriage. The pandemic has only worsened access to the Indian welfare system, especially for migrant workers from rural areas who see child marriage as a solution to better their daughters’ financial opportunities.

Families facing dire financial situations often contemplate marrying their young daughters off to men who belong to local, stable families. A daughter’s departure from her home means that her parents no longer have to provide her with food, clothing and education. Provided she is young and healthy, she may marry a groom with plenty of money to provide for her needs. For parents burdened with the pandemic’s economic consequences, the route seems appealing.

Social Pressures

Many parents view marriage as a way to provide stability for their daughters in a country with much gender-based violence. Police reports from investigations into local child marriages show that parents of young girls worry that letting them go to school and work while being unmarried may signal their availability to predatorial men.

This mindset typically prevails in rural areas. Data from Bihar, an Indian state that reports the highest number of child marriages, has shown that 44.5% of women from rural areas married before the age of 18 from 2015 to 2016 compared to 29.1% of women from urban areas. In rural areas, the local community has united and affirmed that marriage provides financial security, respect and safety to young girls.

Solutions

Landmark legislation such as the 2006 Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) has created a jail sentence of up to two years for parents and village elders authorizing illegal child marriages in India. The act also established local committees to intervene in individual cases but left enforcement up to state governments. In many cases, state officials simply did not appoint committee members or assigned committee work to social workers with already high caseloads. While child marriage statistics have been continually dropping, much of this progress is due to similar growth in literacy and access to education instead of PCMA’s impact. Indian legislation is powerful, but it faces setbacks in actualizing its potential.

Currently, local police are instrumental in stopping child marriages by arriving on the scene and arresting elders arranging weddings, but they work through anonymous tips and face resistance from locals. They are unable to stop all child marriages or truly fight the mindset of parents. Specialized teams with social workers will be able to communicate with parents and village elders and prevent future weddings. It is important that these groups receive funding and support from global governments as these solutions stretch beyond simply sending individuals to jail — the true solution to child marriage in India is through changing mindsets.

Looking Ahead

Despite determined attempts by the Indian government to limit child marriage in India through legislation, the destructive practice still continues. The COVID-19 pandemic has unearthed the economic and social motivations that drive child marriage forward in Indian society. Solutions include realizing the potential of legislation and promoting the presence of social workers and NGOs working on the ground to change the social acceptance of child marriage in India.

– Shruti Patankar
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

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Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Iran

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Iran
The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Iran is severe. The pandemic accelerated the decline of Iran’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the rise of unemployment. Despite the economic crisis, Tehran’s massive natural resources allow the country to effectively recover economically if the newly elected Ebrahim Raisi is willing to end the country’s decades-long hostility with the United States.

The US Sanctions and Economic Crisis Before COVID-19

Before analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Iran, one needs to understand the context in which the pandemic took place. In May 2018, under President Trump, the U.S. withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). As a result of the U.S. withdrawal, a “maximum pressure” campaign that consisted of unilateral sanctions against the Middle Eastern country replaced the Obama-era Iran foreign policy.

The sanctions contributed significantly to the downfall of Iran’s economy. The country’s GDP went down by 11% and average living standards have reduced by 13%. The “maximum pressure” campaign also caused an inflation shock. The sanctions cut oil exports, which reduced the supply of foreign exchange and resulted in hyperinflation. For example, the sanctions were one of the main reasons for prices rising by 41% in 2019.

How COVID-19 Worsened Iran’s Economic Crisis

The pandemic has further accelerated the crisis of the already declining Iranian economy. The mismanagement of the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in Iran being one of the worst impacted countries in the world, with almost 94,603 deaths and more than four million overall cases. Considering how widespread the highly transmissible Delta variant is and the fact that only about 4% of the country’s 83 million citizens are fully vaccinated, the future seems even more pessimistic.

Observing the health effects of the pandemic, it is not surprising how severely COVID-19 damaged Iran’s economy. In 2020, an estimated three to four million Iranians were at risk of losing their jobs, with the potential of increasing the actual (not official) unemployment rate from 20% to more than 35%. The country’s GDP shrunk by 5% in 2020 and inflation nearly doubled from February 2020 to February 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a decline in GDP and an increase in public spending led the government to take extensive debt and sell its assets on the stock market. As a result, the fiscal deficit-to-GDP ratio more than doubled.

The Lives of Impoverished Iranians During the Pandemic

COVID-19 forced working-class, low-income Iranians to choose between their health and earning a basic income necessary for physical survival. In previous decades, the combination of charity work and welfare ministry, which provided financial assistance to economically vulnerable families, managed to maintain poverty below the 10% threshold. However, sanctions and the pandemic have put the survival of millions of Iranians, particularly informal and daily workers, at risk.

Around six million Iranians (a quarter of the overall workforce) work in the informal economy and earn daily wages. They often have no fixed salaries, minimal or no savings and little insurance from the social protection programs. Although these workers face a greater risk of infection, their financial situation does not allow them to stop working. Due to the fragile economic reality of Iranian people, particularly low-income citizens, the government cannot afford strict quarantine measures because these restrictions can push an additional 20% of Iranians into extreme poverty.

Moreover, according to a World Bank report, consumer price inflation stood at 30.6% from April to November 2020 and reached 46.4% in November 2020. The hyperinflation caused drastic price increases in food and housing, which disproportionally harmed working-class families.

The Way Out of the Economic Crisis

Various international and local nongovernmental organizations work tirelessly to alleviate poverty in Iran. One of the most significant NGOs that provides financial and educational resources for Iran’s vulnerable is Relief International. The organization has been particularly active since the outbreak of COVID-19. Relief International has provided multi-purpose cash assistance for 26,000 families who lost their income due to the pandemic.

Although the work of Relief International and other NGOs is significant for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Iran, NGOs have limited resources. Therefore, the Iranian government should play a greater role in the process of poverty reduction. For easing the short-term economic impact, the government should provide direct income assistance to its vulnerable citizens. More importantly, for a meaningful, long-term change, the Reisi administration should end the four-decade-long animosity with the U.S. and agree to the new nuclear deal. The precedent of the 2015 JCPOA agreement shows that lifting sanctions will reverse the negative economic impact of COVID-19.

– Aleksandre Jgarkava
Photo: Flickr

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Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Iraq

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Iraq
Iraq has suffered from past wars, a security-challenged and corrupt government and the recent withdrawal of the United States troops. The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Iraq adds another challenging element to this underdeveloped country. More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s impoverished communities are struggling. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed 4.5 million Iraqis below the poverty line. Job losses and a rise in prices for goods have contributed to the increase in poverty.

The Children

The pandemic has impacted Iraqi children the most. According to a UNICEF Iraq study, one out of five Iraqi children were already impoverished before the crisis. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number has doubled to two out of five children. The study also revealed that the increase in poverty has affected school enrollment, nutrition and children’s development and coping skills.

UNICEF Iraq has recommended that the country needs more social services programs that protect children and that the Iraq government should take prompt action in making these programs more accessible in rural areas. The Iraq government has the funding to promote these programs and health-related public service announcements as well as awareness campaigns on gender-based violence awareness and prevention. However, the government has not always been consistent.

Employment Challenges

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, Iraqis have faced an increase in employment challenges. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research in collaboration with the Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI), COVID-19 has had a catastrophic impact on vulnerable households’ income and employment. Younger workers and people in informal employment make up 3,265 of the households in the study.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iraq unemployment rate was at 12.76% and rose to 13.74%, after the pandemic. Research also determined that the majority had no health insurance or social security. One-quarter of citizens that had employment prior to the pandemic lockdown experienced permanent lay-offs, with 36% of those in the age group of 18-24 permanently dismissed from their jobs. Further assessment revealed that those employed under verbal agreements had a 40% reduction in income. Only 16% had savings and 85% only had savings to last less than three months.

The International Labor Country Coordinator for Iraq, Maha Kattaa, stated that COVID-19 has limited the availability of resources to vulnerable households and has affected their ability to cope. It has also created barriers to retaining good jobs.

The Government and Solutions

UNICEF Iraq has recommended that the Iraqi government establish long-term policy measures for impoverished communities to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Iraq. It suggested that the government create accessible support packages and provide cash and in-kind support to those who have lost their jobs. UNICEF Iraq also suggested that the Iraqi government make equal social security benefits available for public and private employees.

Despite the fact that the United States has withdrawn troops from Iraq, it is continuing to provide aid to the country’s impoverished communities. In August 2021, it donated 500,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has prepared labs for large-scale testing of COVID-19 and will continue to do so long-term. USAID has also implemented public health emergency plans, provided more than 19,000 food baskets and distributed cash-based transfers to the most vulnerable Iraqi citizens.

The Iraq government has been open to aid from other countries. The government wants to combat the negative effects of COVID-19 but realizes it needs help from outside sources. On the other hand, the government has not led a consistent vaccine awareness campaign and many Iraqis are skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccines. On April 24, 2021, Iraq had more than one million COVID-19 cases.

Looking Ahead

The Iraqi government has made efforts to protect its citizens from COVID-19. However, the inconsistent messaging, limited resources and rise in COVID-19 cases have made it difficult for impoverished communities to thrive. The resources for new jobs, healthcare, education enrollment and coping skills will need to be steady and must align with the current needs of the country. Continued studies on COVID-19 and the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Iraq as well as aid from other countries could help Iraq significantly.

– Dana Smith
Photo: Flickr

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Rihanna’s Foundation Helps People in Poverty

Rihanna’s foundationSinger and businesswoman Rihanna has taken on many ventures including a music career, a lingerie brand, a makeup brand and more. However, many Rihanna fans do not know about her work to help people in global poverty. Rihanna founded the Clara Lionel Foundation, which helps people in global poverty recover from natural disasters as well as funding education initiatives.

Rihanna, whose birth name is Robyn Fenty, founded the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012. Rihanna’s Foundation is named after her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. The Clara Lionel Foundation’s work focuses on the Caribbean and Africa. It promotes education and emergency preparedness while responding to natural disasters.

Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness

Rihanna’s Foundation responds to disasters in the Caribbean and Africa both financially and on the ground. The Foundation has nine active projects related to disaster relief and has committed $10 million over the course of its establishment.

The Foundation’s most recent response occurred when Hurricane Dorian struck The Bahamas, which has a poverty rate of 11.1%. The response included donating $1 million in emergency grants to relief partners on the ground, rebuilding healthcare facilities, mobile medical care, the distribution of food in impoverished areas and providing portable satellite communications systems. This type of support in The Bahamas is a characteristic of the work the Clara Lionel Foundation does to alleviate the effects of natural disasters for those living in poverty. The Foundation recognizes that natural disasters affect those living below the poverty line the most, as the populations lose their shelter, food and water sources, jobs and more. This impact is why much of the work focuses on impoverished and hard-to-reach areas.

The Foundation achieves its mission of emergency preparedness by educating people about what the populations need as well as establishing health clinics. The Clara Lionel Foundation partnered with the International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region (IPPF/WHR) and Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA). The partnership is working with health clinics to strengthen the clinics structurally and in scope. The partnership is helping add a focus for reproductive health as many women in poverty do not have anywhere to turn to after a disaster. The clinics become hubs for healthcare following a disaster, making communities more prepared.

Education Efforts

The Clara Lionel Foundation contributed $5 million to education, helping more than 7,000 children get access to schooling. The program financially supports schools in different countries including Rihanna’s home of Barbados, as well as individuals looking to participate in higher education. After Hurricane Maria in Dominica, the Foundation also helped rebuild schools and built the schools to serve as a shelter for incoming disasters.

COVID-19 Relief

The Clara Lionel Foundation contributed over $36 million to COVID-19 relief. It served 30 countries by donating to 45 organizations. Much of this went towards providing relief in the Caribbean and Africa.

Rihanna’s work as a philanthropist helps people in global poverty lift themselves out of natural disasters and prevents the population from falling back into an insecure situation in the chance of another disaster through preparedness and education.

– Sana Mamtaney
Photo: Flickr

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Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Russia

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in RussiaThe impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Russia is quite significant. Like many other nations worldwide, the pandemic has proven to be a sizable obstacle in the fight against poverty. Measures meant to limit the spread of COVID-19 within Russia have resulted in the Russian economy shrinking overall. With this economic shrinkage, more people within Russia are at the brink of falling into poverty.

Unemployment and Poverty Rates

The economic decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a spike in unemployment within Russia. By October 2020, the unemployment rate had climbed to 6.3% — the highest unemployment rate Russia has seen in eight years. Many of these job losses mainly occurred in the “manufacturing, construction and retail and hospitality” sectors. Additionally, this increase in unemployment led to a spike in poverty. In the first quarter of 2020, the poverty rate stood at 12.65, rising to 13.2% in the second quarter of 2020.

Impact on Minor Cities

Some wealthy Russian cities, such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, are better positioned to handle the economic impact of the pandemic. These larger Russian cities had more robust local economies before the pandemic. However, smaller cities have proven less capable of handling the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Russia. These smaller cities were hit hard by the collapse of Soviet industries with the fall of the Soviet Union, struggling to combat unemployment and poverty long before the onset of the pandemic. These impoverished cities also have some of the weakest healthcare systems in all of Russia. The pandemic has compounded this by overwhelming already under-supported healthcare systems.

Furthermore, sectors hit hard by the pandemic, such as construction and service, were previously a lifeline of employment for already impoverished cities. Many Russians within smaller cities face hard decisions of choosing between prioritizing health or income, with some opting to continue to work despite the dangers of COVID-19.

Impact on Migrant workers

The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Russia is strongly felt among Russia’s sizable population of migrant Central Asian workers. Many of these migrant workers have remained within Russia during the pandemic, without jobs or income.

These Central Asia migrants were targets of discrimination before the onset of the pandemic and were already in a more vulnerable position within Russia before 2020. The pandemic has only compounded this vulnerability as many face unemployment and border closures have made it impossible for most to return to Central Asia to wait out the pandemic.

Statistics from December 2019 indicate that more than 1.6 million migrant workers reside in Moscow. The majority of these migrant workers are from Central Asia. Many work in sectors such as service or construction —  sectors that were especially hard-hit by COVID-19 restrictions in and around Moscow. The fees that migrant workers pay the city of Moscow for their work permits form a significant part of the city’s revenue. In 2016, the mayor stated that these permit payments brought the city “more revenue than oil companies.”

Intervention by NGOs

Throughout the pandemic, Russian NGOs have been providing Russians with varied forms of assistance to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Russia. Marginalized populations are often unintentionally overlooked in aid endeavors.

Nochlezhka is an NGO in St. Petersburg, Russia, focusing efforts on the often marginalized and excluded homeless population. The organization garnered the support of citizens to help distribute informational COVID-19 pamphlets to the homeless and encouraged donations of sanitizer and face masks. Nochlezhka also started the You Are Not Alone initiative, encouraging citizens to “leave plastic bags with food and hygiene products in places where homeless people could find them.”

NGOs have not limited their assistance to Russia’s homeless population though. Organizations have created services that are available to a wider array of people. For instance, the Agora International Human Rights Group is providing legal assistance to Russians on various legal issues during the pandemic, “such as fighting fines issued for breaching lockdown.”

Trends for the Future

Despite these troubling examples of COVID-19’s impact on Russian poverty and predictions indicating that the poverty level in Russia will remain above 10% for some time, there is hope for the future. Government policies meant to combat the economic impacts of the pandemic have had some recent success. With the implementation of these support policies, estimates indicate that by the end of 2021, the Russian poverty level should fall below pre-pandemic levels.

The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Russia is substantial. The pandemic has witnessed a spike in unemployment and poverty overall. Additionally, the pandemic disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations within Russia, such as already impoverished citizens and migrant workers. Despite these hardships, Russian NGOs have stepped in to assist Russians. Predictions indicate that government support policies will largely reverse COVID-19’s impact on Russian poverty during 2021.

– Coulter Layden
Photo: Flickr

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Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Singapore

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Singapore
Like most of the world throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore has undergone a health and economic crisis while battling the novel coronavirus. However, the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Singapore has disproportionately affected Singapore’s low-wage migrant workforce as the country continues the fight against the virus and the race to distribute vaccines.

COVID-19 Within Singapore’s Low-Wage Workforce

As early as the fall of 2020, Singapore seemed to return to life as normal with restaurants reopening and malls filling with crowds. However, the nation’s low-wage workforce, which included primarily migrant workers, faced a COVID-19 surge and a battle of its own.

Singapore’s low-wage workforce consists of more than 300,000 foreign construction and manufacturing workers from countries such as India and Bangladesh. These workers live in crowded dorms throughout their work period where COVID-19 quickly becomes rampant. Migrant workers accounted for nearly 95% of the country’s novel coronavirus cases as of September 8, 2020. With the placement of quarantine orders on these workers after numerous outbreaks, many had to stay in hot, overcrowded rooms without ventilation. As a result, the workers became exposed to the virus.

These workers have been extremely vulnerable to both the novel coronavirus and economic fallout due to factors such as overcrowded dorms, “hazardous working conditions,” low pay and lack of access to social protection. Many workers did not receive full wages throughout the quarantine order and faced high health costs when eventually returning home.

Poverty in East Asia: The Effects of the COVID-19

Despite recent post-COVID-19 economic recoveries in many East Asian countries, the World Bank reported that emerging post-pandemic recovery is and will continue to be uneven as the country’s most impoverished bear the brunt of the COVID-19 economic crisis. Poverty in East Asia and the Pacific stopped declining for the first time in more than 20 years as an estimated 32 million citizens across the region were unable to escape poverty as a result of unequal access to social, medical, educational and technological support.

A Future of Hope and a United Fight

Hope for Singapore’s citizens continues to come in the form of vaccines. More than a third of the country’s 5.7 million citizens have been fully vaccinated and nearly half of the population received at least one dose of a COVID-19 shot as of June 19, 2021. The government plans to complete vaccinations by the end of 2021.

Additionally, the World Bank Group has begun numerous relief programs in Eastern Asia and the Pacific region. Part of the organization’s $125 billion fund will go toward combating the “health, economic and social impacts” of the novel coronavirus globally and the World Bank Group plans to establish COVID-19 fast-track facilities. The World Bank Group intends to provide emergency funding for medical supplies and medical training while also working to strengthen national public health systems.

Returning to “Normal”

As Singapore eases back into normality as its population becomes vaccinated, a new awareness of social inequality is spreading domestically and internationally. A BBC article from September 18, 2020, states that the crisis exposes a “pandemic of inequality” within the country. Meanwhile, a foreign policy piece, published on May 6, 2020, describes Singapore’s lack of action in combating the economic crisis as a failure to see migrant workers as people.

While inequalities and poverty in Singapore have worsened throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, activists around the world and across the nation are advocating for better conditions and awareness as the reopening process occurs. Organizations such as the World Bank Group, the Human Rights Campaign and Amnesty International are continuing to provide aid and advocacy for extremely impoverished people in Singapore. As the country climbs out of the COVID-19 pandemic, a future of hope and awareness presents itself. There is hope that the distribution of vaccines, education about the crisis and international funding will reduce the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Singapore.

– Lillian Ellis
Photo: Flickr

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Poland

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in PolandGlobally, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted those already struggling with poverty. Here is some information about the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Poland and the country’s response.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Poland

The COVID-19 pandemic increased income inequalities by reducing the employability of those with lower levels of education. For example, the populations who were already at a greater risk of poverty due to their positions in the labor market became more impoverished. In 2020, the poverty rate amounted to 5.2%, which is 1% higher than in 2019.

Prior to the virus reaching Poland, citizens expressed greater fear of the virus’ impact on the economy than its health effects. Given that less than 30% of Poles have any savings and a quarter of workers are in flexible forms of employment and do not receive coverage from unemployment insurance, the government’s reaction to COVID-19’s effects on the economy is crucial. In 2020, Poland’s economic activity showed a  decline of several percentage points for the first time in several decades.

In a survey that More in Common conducted, nearly half of the respondents stated that COVID-19 worsened their financial situation, with the 40 to 45 age range expressing the most concern. COVID-19 affected the hotel, catering and recreational industries the hardest as it prevented the industries from operating. Additionally, 70% of entrepreneurs reported that the pandemic reduced their income, which will inevitably affect their businesses and employees. In January 2021, Poland reported 6.5% unemployment, which is more than 3% higher than in 2019.

Poland’s Response

Poland acted fast and prepared the country before the first case of COVID-19 arrived, minimizing the pandemic’s effect. Poland closed borders and enforced strict quarantine measures before many other countries in Europe and the government put strategies in place to minimize economic impact despite having an unprepared health system.

On April 1, 2020, the Polish government introduced the Anti-Crisis Shield to provide employers and employees with solutions to cushion the impacts on employment. The Anti-Crisis Shield included more flexible employment, subsidized salaries of employees, gave loans to micro-entrepreneurs and gave sickness benefits to those required to quarantine. The government updated the Anti-Crisis Shield five times during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to cater to the industries and workers that suffered most, such as the cultural sector, the wood processing sector and the catering and transport industries.

Minimum Wages and Vulnerable Populations

Protecting income from work through implementing a minimum wage is an important factor in reducing poverty and minimizing the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Poland. In 2020, Poland increased the minimum wage by 11%. This change was crucial in order to prevent major changes in household income. Additionally, as COVID-19 led to more workers losing their jobs and wages, the government introduced temporary benefits to compensate for the loss. Still, the crisis had a greater effect on weaker regions of Poland and disadvantaged workers.

Even before COVID-19, people in rural areas of Poland were 11% more at risk of poverty than those in cities. The risk of poverty for women in Poland is higher than men, and due to COVID-19, the rate of women who had to stop working was almost twice the rate of men. Furthermore, the majority of healthcare workers at the frontline of the pandemic are women. This raises the question of whether or not the Polish government is doing enough to aid women during this crisis.

Learning and Growing Following Crisis

While COVID-19 brought many negative effects, it has also presented an opportunity to learn and use the pandemic as a catalyst for change. Globally, the pandemic highlighted the importance of quality governance and today’s technology offers the potential to optimize government functioning, resource allocation, efficiency and transparency. Projections determine that Poland will rebound from the pandemic with an expected economic growth of 3.3% in 2021.

In May 2021, Poland revealed the Polish Deal, an economic package to aid in recovering from the pandemic. The package focuses on improving economic and social systems with an aim to make systems more crisis-proof. The Polish Deal aims to bridge income gaps by supporting people with the lowest incomes and placing more of the tax burden on large companies and higher-income groups.

COVID-19 exposed weaknesses in Poland’s healthcare system, and by 2023, Poland plans to spend 6% of GDP on improved healthcare. Additionally, the Polish Deal plans to provide support for parents and homebuyers, reduce the tax burden on lower-income Poles and create more than 500,000 new jobs. Many of the jobs will come from infrastructural investments including plans to build a network of expressways, railroad lines, sports infrastructure and an airport.

The Road Ahead

Overall, the Polish Deal aims to build the foundation for developments that will help future generations earn more and work in better conditions. Poland is on the cusp of vast civilizational changes and the Polish Deal plans to assist in bringing about these improvements. Poland is still waiting to see the effects of its new policies, but in the meanwhile, the future looks promising.

– Jacqueline Zembek
Photo: Flickr

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Tanzania

covid-19 and poverty in tanzaniaThe East African country of Tanzania is one of the largest nations on the continent. Despite a population of more than 58 million, Tanzania has reported fewer than 600 COVID-19 cases and just 21 deaths as of July 22, 2021. However, widespread denial of the gravity of the virus is making COVID-19 in Tanzania more dangerous. While Tanzania has experienced minimal physical health impacts of COVID-19 in contrast to other countries, the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Tanzania has been harsh as the virus has slowed overall economic growth.

Tanzania’s COVID-19 Response

On March 16, 2020, Tanzania reported its first case of COVID-19. Months later, in April, the country’s bustling region of Tanga also reported its first case. To help prevent the further spread of the virus, the government in Tanga began working with the CDC to train health professionals “on case investigation, contact tracing, home and community isolation, quarantine, infection prevention control (IPC) and case management,” providing a strategy to respond to new cases.

Furthermore, the CDC aided Tanzania in hiring and training drug dispensaries to monitor the number of people looking for COVID-19 treatment. This allowed pharmacists to watch out for probable cases in their communities in order to ramp up precautions and prevent the spread of the disease. In total, the CDC helped train 116 healthcare personnel in COVID-19 response strategies, “creating a holistic, community response to detect and respond to the COVID-19 crisis.”

Unreported Cases and COVID-19 Denial

On the surface, Tanzania has done an exceptional job preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, a few less discussed issues have prevented the country from fully recovering. For instance, in June 2020, the country’s then-president, John Magufuli, stopped reporting COVID-19 data, claiming that the country was virus-free even though Tanzania had already reported 509 cases and 21 deaths. Magufuli asserted that a “three-day prayer had saved the country.” Similarly, the secretary of the Ministry of Health, Mabula Mchembe, disregarded accusations that the country’s denial of the virus was only causing more deaths. Overall, the Tanzanian government has “downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic.”

A New President Brings Hope

When the former president passed away on March 17, 2021, President Samia Suluhu Hassan replaced him as the first female president of the country. The mark of Hassan’s presidency also marked the release of Tanzania’s official COVID-19 statistics after “more than a year.” Hassan confirmed 100 new COVID-19 cases since the third wave of COVID-19 began in Tanzania. Bringing hope to Tanzania, President Hassan also allotted $470 million for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, helping the country’s citizens protect themselves from the virus.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Tanzania

Tanzania has made significant progress in tackling COVID-19, but the pandemic has still worsened poverty in the country. Due to the extensive measures put in place to track the virus, including quarantine and lockdowns, roughly 140,000 formal jobs were lost in June 2020 alone. In addition, 2.2 million “nonfarm informal workers” experienced loss of income. Similarly, the poverty rate increased from 26.1% in 2019 to 27.2% by the end of 2020.

In 2021, however, Tanzania’s economic outlook is much different. In fact, Tanzania’s GDP is projected to rise by up to 5.3% this year due to President Hassan’s COVID-19 programs and vaccine distribution plan. President Hassan has promised to improve infrastructure and resource management, reflecting a vision of future economic growth in the country. As Tanzania moves in a more transparent and positive direction, hope is on the horizon for overall poverty reduction and economic growth.

– Calvin Franke
Photo: Flickr

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Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Ecuador

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in EcuadorEcuador is a South American country with a population of more than 17 million. The country relies heavily on oil exports and was battling a global oil crisis when the first COVID-19 case broke out there in February 2020. Since then, the combined effects of the oil crisis and COVID-19 have created many problems for Ecuador. However, there are many sources offering aid to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Ecuador.

The Impact of COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, Ecuador was one of the hardest-hit countries. Not only was it the first Latin American country affected but it also ranks ninth worldwide in confirmed deaths per million, according to the World Health Organization. The impact of COVID-19 combined with the effects of a global oil crisis could cause up to an 11% decrease in GDP for the nation.

Organizations Offering Aid

Despite the negative effects people across the world have felt and the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Ecuador, organizations are helping the country recover.

  • U.S. Department of State – The Department of State/U.S. Agency for International Development sent almost $18 million in aid to Ecuador. This will fund improvements to the medical system, purchase rapid test kits and provide medical and personal protective equipment.
  • International Monetary Fund – On Sept. 30, 2020, the Executive Board of the IMF approved a “$6.5 billion Extended Fund Facility arrangement” with the goal of helping Ecuador recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19. By providing these additional funds, the Ecuadorian government will be able to spend more on health and education services. The government can also give cash transfers to Ecuadorians who lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
  • The World Bank – The World Bank provided a line of credit of $500 million to help the Ecuadorian government support families affected by COVID-19. In addition to this, it approved “$14.1 million in nonreimbursable resources from the Global Concessional Financing Mechanism” to provide additional support to the government for its admittance of a large number of refugees.
  • UNICEF – UNICEF reallocated $2.7 million in funds to help with the COVID-19 response. These funds were used to provide PPE, handwashing stations, nutritional supplements, hygiene materials and teachers to help distribute supplies and educate the population on proper sanitation techniques. In addition, UNICEF also provided funds to help cash transfers to Venezuelan refugees who have been unable to receive any from the Ecuadorian government.

There are also other non-governmental and international organizations that are providing aid to the people of Ecuador. The services provided range from telemedicine and hospital care to assisting with sanitation efforts. The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Ecuador has a list of organizations that are active in Ecuador. It is working to help with the recovery.

Next Steps

As the country faces a difficult recovery, international support is vital to jumpstart the economy and support Ecuadorians. The government will need help to continue providing the necessary equipment, testing and social safety nets for the impacted population. Donating to organizations or urging representatives to continue supporting these forms of aid are great ways to help.

Despite this large impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Ecuador, aid increases recovery efforts. International organizations, foreign governments and non-governmental organizations are working hard to provide funding and supplies to help Ecuador.

– Taryn Steckler-Houle
Photo: Flickr

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