While MENA has made strides in improving women and girls’ health, much more needs to be done. Understanding the impact of conflict on women and girls is critical for designing both preventive…

Fadia Saadah, Sameera Al Tuwaijri |

Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced low economic growth per capita, a very slow decline in poverty incidence, and the number of people living in extreme poverty has been rising steadily. As a…

Johannes Hoogeveen, Johan A. Mistiaen, Haoyu Wu |

In the wake of conflicts and fragility, children and youth often bear the heaviest burdens. Their education is disrupted, they can’t access basic services, and girls are more prone to be victims…

Mamta Murthi, Kitty van der Heijden |

As we marked World Poverty Day on October 17th, a blog published recently by World Bank staff highlights that poverty has finally receded to pre-COVID pandemic levels, which in essence means we…

Nadir Mohammed, Laura Moreno Herrera, Salman Zaidi |

The populations of MENA countries affected by fragility, conflict and violence (FCV) also face a double burden as they are exposed to compound climate-security risks. As emphasized in the World…

Elise Doumergue, Phoebe Spencer |

Most workers in developing countries are in informal employment-- that is, a job that does not come with social security benefits and leaving them with limited means to manage risks to their…

Nadir Mohammed, Roberta Gatti, Marco Ranzani, Gladys Lopez-Acevedo, Nistha Sinha, Adam Elsheikhi |

Two significant World Bank reports, the Country Economic Memorandum (CEM) and Surviving in the Times of War provide policies and recommendations for taking Yemen’s economic growth forward.

Alia Aghajanian, Gianluca Mele |

Yemen faces multiple challenges, including conflict, displacement, and economic instability. These challenges have disproportionately affected women, limiting their access to economic…

Federica Ranghieri, Fayyaz Ahmad Faiz-Rasul |

Firms play an important role in the impact of payroll taxes on their workers and different firms respond differently to payroll tax cuts. Findings suggest that governments need to consider the…

Anikó Bíró, Réka Branyiczki, Attila Lindner, Lili Márk, Daniel Prinz |

There is growing recognition that natural resource exploitation and environmental pressures can fuel violent conflict. Compounding this threat, situations of conflict and environmental stress also…

Agathe Christien, Phoebe Spencer |