Home Christian News Extreme Poverty Grows by 97 Million Globally in COVID-19, New Report Says

Extreme Poverty Grows by 97 Million Globally in COVID-19, New Report Says

The pandemic exacerbated problems already pronounced in many countries, including HIV, malaria, food insecurity, poor health care and weak educational systems. In many areas, officials have not been able to overcome barriers to distributing and administering COVID-19 vaccines.

In releasing its report, World Relief included updates from its leaders in Malawi and Kenya, where World Relief is partnering with trusted pastors to distribute vaccines to hard-to-reach communities, partnering with government officials to operate mobile clinics and advocating COVID-19 prevention measures.

“Our end goal with this report is not simply education. It’s a push toward compassionate, thoughtful action that recognizes we are part of a global community,” Greene said. “We are more than just U.S. citizens – we are citizens of the world, and right now, our world needs open hands and open hearts.”

Jenny Yang, World Relief senior vice president for advocacy and policy, expressed hope that the report would encourage prayer and humanitarian outreaches.

“It is really our hope at World Relief that this report not only stirs the hearts of our readers, but also ignites” Yang said. She encouraged people to pray and to partner with World Relief and the government in fighting COVID-19, advocating for continuing education around COVID-19 and encouraging vaccinations globally.

World Relief, a global Christian humanitarian organization, has partnered with churches and community leaders for more than 75 years to combat disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression and mass displacement.

The full report is available here.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.