UN report: Many countries are bouncing back from COVID pandemic but the poorest are not

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A U.N. report says many countries are bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the poorest are not and a significant number are seeing conditions in their country deteriorating. The U.N. Development Program issued the report Wednesday. Agency head Achim Steiner says that after two decades during which rich and poor countries were coming closer in terms of development, they are now drifting apart.  The report says the Human Development Index that UNDP has been producing since 1990 is projected to reach record highs in 2023 after steep declines during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. But it says development in half of the world’s poorest countries remains below 2019 pre-pandemic levels.