It is commonly thought that a shock affecting agricultural production will translate into food insecurity a few months later––during the next lean season. However, high-frequency data from the…

Emma Frankham, Jonas Heirman, Marcus Holmlund, Patrick Premand, Jennifer Waidler |

This blog is a biweekly feature highlighting recent working papers from around the World Bank Group that were published in the World Bank’s Policy Research Working Paper Series. It introduces five…

Marcelo Buitron, Policy Research Working Paper team |

A generation of students across the globe will likely suffer lifelong losses to their earning potential because of the closure of schools and universities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kuwaiti…

Mohamed Ihsan Ajwad, Simon Bilo |

In 2017, a severe and prolonged drought had hit countries in Africa and the Middle East, bringing crop shortage, livestock death, water scarcity and disease. Food shortages escalated into near-…

Utz Pape |

Economic shocks can be painful and destructive, especially in fragile countries that can get trapped into a cycle of conflict and violence. Effective policy responses must be implemented quickly…

Utz Pape |