World Bank says war has set Ukraine back 15 years in poverty reduction

Arup Banerji, the World Bank's Regional Director for Eastern Europe, said this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

“The invasion of Ukraine is a tragedy with serious human and economic consequences. We estimate that 8 million more Ukrainians have fallen below the poverty line compared to the pre-war period. That is, the country has been thrown back 15 years in achieving its poverty reduction goals,” he said.

Banerji emphasized that “Ukraine's current and future financing needs are staggering.”