Cushioning the effects of COVID-19 on the poor

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the world’s most vulnerable into further hardship. Social distancing has meant that many in the developing world have seen their sources of income evaporate. In this VoxDev talk, Rema Hanna and Ben Olken discuss the need for rapid responses across the developing world to protect the poorest. Countries must build on the unique structures and programmes that they already have in place to guarantee a timely response. This being said, there are a number of concepts that policymakers should take into account including community-based targeting, self-targeting, and temporary insurance subsidies for the poor.

Editors’ note: This VoxDev talk has been published in collaboration with Harvard’s Center for International Development.