Sherillyn Raga and Dirk Willem te Velde, May 2020
The confirmed number of coronavirus cases reached 3.5 million on 4 May, affecting 187 countries. The global economy is projected to contract by 3% (or 5% less than was forecast only four months ago). World trade may fall by up to 32%. The African region may witness its first recession since the 1970s.
The financing gaps in poorer countries have increased and, as these countries cannot afford a stimulus, they turn to donors. Already by 3 April, more than 90 countries had requested support from the IMF. This note provides an overview of donor responses since the outbreak, financial instruments, the regional coverage of funding and country allocations.
Photo: World Bank Group President in a press conference with the IMF Managing Director to address the economic challenges posed by coronavirus.. World Bank / Simone D. McCourtie. Licence: (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)