MPI and Covid-19

The recently published Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2020 by the United Nations Development Programme and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative has jeopardised the advancement in the reduction of MPI due to the impact of COVID-19 on deprivation parameters. The projected figures in the report are disturbing, and this certainly requires early intervention in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2030. It is expected that an additional 490 million people will fall into multidimensional poverty within a period of 10 years in developing countries. Those countries that were on the right track in reducing multidimensional poverty before COVID-19 may not achieve the target as predicted. The situation projected in the report is shocking in countries in the sub-Saharan Africa.

The MPI report has cited two areas that have severely affected the deprivation indicators. These are nutrition and children’s school attendance. An analysis of 70 countries shows that the pandemic has disrupted school education globally due to national and local lockdowns, where 91% of the children are out of their schools. It is anticipated that the school attendance of 50% of the primary school-age children in these countries will continue to be affected. Delay in food supply and implementation of food security schemes results in affecting the livelihoods of the poor. It is reported by the World Food Programme that about 130 million people across 55 countries face acute food /insecurity. The MPI report has pointed out that at least 25% of the people who were not undernourished before COVID-19 will become undernourished. This could be reduced only if food security is ensured to them sufficiently. Otherwise, the multiplier effect of such a situation will drag many people in the developing nations into the “poverty trap” shortly.