OECD seeks assistance to help at-risk countries

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is exploring how it can work to help the most vulnerable countries weather the COVID-19 crisis.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said the flows of Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding are key.

"The response of development providers in the weeks and months ahead will be a critical force in the global battle against COVID-19," said Gurria. 

"ODA has proved to be recession-proof in the past, including during the 2008 financial crisis, and I am confident it can be again," Gurria said.

ODA from members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee, DAC, totalled US$152.8 billion in 2019, a rise of 1.4 percent in real terms from 2018, according to preliminary data collected from official development agencies.

Bilateral ODA to Africa and least-developed countries rose by 1.3 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.

"This increase in the global development effort is an important first step, particularly as we now have an additional duty to step up support to those countries facing the harshest impacts of all from the coronavirus crisis," said Gurria.

ODA rose by 1.7 percent in real terms, excluding aid spent on looking after refugees within donor countries – which was down 2 percent from 2018, said the press release.