Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday levelled a veiled criticism at the developed nations for their poor response towards managing the Covid-19 pandemic as a collective crisis, noting that the pandemic had hit the Global South countries hardest. While speaking at the 3rd India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit in Papua New Guinea, PM Modi remarked the impact of Covid-19 exacerbated the existing problems in the developing nations.
Global south is referred to as the grouping of countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
“The global South has been worse hit by the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Climate change, natural disasters, hunger, poverty and health-related challenges existed prior to the pandemic and now we are facing further new challenges…the supply chains were disrupted (due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown)...,” PM Modi said, expressing his disappointment that “those whom we trusted, turned out at the time of need, they did not stand with us.”
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Reiterating the importance of regional unity, the PM added that the pandemic proved the old proverb that a friend in need, is a friend indeed. “I am happy that India stood by its friendly Pacific Island countries during this time,” he said, hailing India’s vaccine and other essential medicine-related assistance to other countries as well as the export of food products.
{{/usCountry}}Reiterating the importance of regional unity, the PM added that the pandemic proved the old proverb that a friend in need, is a friend indeed. “I am happy that India stood by its friendly Pacific Island countries during this time,” he said, hailing India’s vaccine and other essential medicine-related assistance to other countries as well as the export of food products.
{{/usCountry}}PM Modi’s statement resonated with multiple studies including that by the World Bank and the United Nations have confirmed that the impact of the Covid-19 crisis has disproportionately affected developing nations. While developing countries had the availability of social safety nets to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, the lack of such infrastructure in low and middle-income nations, pushed more people in these nations into poverty, and widening income inequality, among other issues, which has slowed the pace of their development.