Argentina continues to struggle with recession and a mounting debt crisis. The country has been on selective default for a few months, and is battling to avoid a broader default.

La crisis de Covid-19 tiene el potencial de devastar el sustento y las vidas de los 1.200 millones de personas en 69 Economías de Bajos Ingresos cubiertos por este informe. 

Evaluación de costos de una moratoria de la deuda para enfrentar la crisis de Covid-19

The G20 agreement is significant and will support the immediate Covid-19 response. But the breathing space it provides countries may be short-lived.

On 13 April, the IMF announced an initiative to provide debt relief for a selected group of 25 countries. 

On World Health Day, amid an unprecedented global crisis, more than 100 organisations are calling for developing country debt to be cancelled to fight the Covid-19 health and economic crisis.

El costo humano y económico de la crisis causada por COVID-19 es un claro recordatorio de la fragilidad de nuestra sociedad globalizada.

The IMF and WB are calling on the G20 to support debt relief for impoverished countries in the face of the Covid-19 outbreak. But the institutions must break with the past to ensure debt relief fulfils its purpose.

This briefing provides an assessment of the costs and implications of an immediate debt moratorium for 69 countries classified as Lower Income Economies.

This is a guest blog on behalf of the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) by Dr Hassan Sherry, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Economics, Lebanese American University