🌍 100 countries get support in response to COVID-19

PLUS: PLUS: $500 million to fight locusts swarms in Africa and the Middle East. [Having trouble seeing this email?](  [© World Bank Group ](  [100 countries get support in response to COVID-19]( The World Bank Group is now supporting 100 countries in their fight against coronavirus, helping strengthen health systems, protect the poorest and support jobs. This is the largest and fastest crisis response in our history, and [is critical in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerating a recovery](. Quotable: “The pandemic and shutdown of advanced economies could push as many as 60 million people into extreme poverty – erasing much of the recent progress made in poverty alleviation,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. Insolvency frameworks: Social distancing measures to contain COVID-19 have disrupted the activity of businesses. There’s an urgent need to [strengthen insolvency frameworks]( to avoid zombie enterprises limping along and to support healthy ones. 3D protective gear? This young genetics engineer from Bangladesh [turned to his 3D printer to develop face shields]( that protect doctors and nurses as they work with patients infected with the pandemic. Helping teachers: A [new World Bank note]( outlines three key principles to strengthen teacher effectiveness during and in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, as well as opportunities for long-run improvement. Building safe cities: Now more than ever, [the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgency of integrating various considerations in urban planning,]( including infrastructure, environment, economic activities, and spaces to bring communities together in our cities. A community response: Community-driven development (CDD) programs, which put people at the center of designing their own solutions, are a critical part of the World Bank’s response to the global COVID-19 crisis. [This is how countries in the Horn of Africa and Solomon Islands are being supported.]( Also read: The World Bank is [helping Ukraine]( disease surveillance, improve public health interventions, and help the private sector continue to operate and sustain jobs. Meanwhile: With over 200,000 confirmed cases and almost 10,000 deaths reported in the Middle East and North Africa, World Bank financing has already been [mobilized throughout the region]( to help prevent, detect and respond to the direct impacts of COVID-19. Go deeper: Learn how the World Bank Group is [responding to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.]( and come back for updates! [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [Tsefaye Kidane, a 40-year-old coffee farmer from the Kafa Biosphere Reserve in southwest Ethiopia. Photo: © Kaia Rose/Connect4Climate/World Bank.](  [Why investing in nature pays off for people and biodiversity]( Taking care of land and preserving biodiversity – through healthy soil, reliable water access and pollinators – is vital for providing livelihoods for rural populations, particularly during times of economic shock like caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [© Sven Torfinn/FAO](  [World Bank announces $500 million to fight locusts, preserve food security and protect livelihoods]( The World Bank Group approved today a US$500 million program to help countries in Africa and the Middle East fight the locust swarms that are threatening the food security and livelihoods of millions of people. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Blogs --------------------------------------------------------------- [Two women in Nigeria. Response to and prevention of internal partner violence is integral to the success of humanitarian and development policies and programs in conflict settings. ]( [Does armed conflict increase a woman’s risk of suffering intimate partner violence?]( "Everyone suffers in situations of armed conflict. But to mitigate the gender-differentiated effects of armed conflict, it is important to depend on data-driven evidence to develop programs that will address and change the way we deal with harmful gender norms and behaviors at and individual and community level. By addressing IPV and gender inequality we can help countries to continue their path of sustainable economic development. This is good for everyone." - Uche Ekhator-Mobayode, May 19 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Virtual Events --------------------------------------------------------------- [Photo: Graham Crouch/World Bank]( [Replay: Coronavirus live series: How can we ensure a sustainable recovery?]( Across the World Bank Group, efforts are underway to help governments respond to the crisis triggered by COVID-19. The priority today is to support overwhelmed health systems and the millions of workers and business owners who are being hit hard. Catch our replay to see our discussion with Bernice Van Bronkhorst, the World Bank's Global Director for Climate Change. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Breaking the silence, IDAHOTB 2020]( [Replay: Cost of exclusion: International day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB) 2020]( The World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) collaborated on a virtual program of events from May 18-22, focusing on research and data for “breaking the silence,” this year’s IDAHOTB theme. Watch the discussion, which focused on the cost of exclusion. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the News --------------------------------------------------------------- - [Carmen Reinhart Appointed as World Bank Group Chief Economist]( - [Report: Horn of Africa Borderland Communities can Achieve Economic Prosperity]( - [New Report Finds Better Management of Public Finance at All Levels Will Boost Public Services for Ukrainia]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Social Media --------------------------------------------------------------- [The current #COVID19 crisis could erase recent progress made in poverty alleviation. @DavidMalpassWBG lays out @WorldBank’s plan to help countries get on the path to economic resilience and recovery: ( [Recent graduates, first-time job seekers, and workers who have lost #jobs form the core of what could be called the “#COVID19 Generation.” Governments need targeted support to them to help avoid #unemployment and #underemployment. ( --------------------------------------------------------------- Data Chart --------------------------------------------------------------- [Chart: World oil demand, by quarter]( Oil demand is set to plunge further in 2020Q2. U.S. gasoline demand declined by almost 50% in the first two weeks of April compared with the same period in 2019, while jet fuel is down by 60%. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global oil demand will fall by 23% in 2020Q2, before gradually recovering as mitigation measures are lifted. For 2020 overall, global oil demand is expected to fall by nearly 10%, more than twice as large as any previous decline (in 1980).[Read More>>]( [facebook]( [twitter]( [instagram]( [instagram]( [instagram]( Accredited journalists may obtain advance access to reports and information by registering with the Bank's [Online Media Briefing Center]( a password-protected site for working journalists. Material in this newsletter is copyrighted. 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