The COVID-19 pandemic is way quite a health crisis: it's affecting societies and economies at their core. While the impact of the pandemic will vary from country to country, it'll presumably increase poverty and inequalities at a worldwide scale, making achievement of SDGs even more urgent. Assessing the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on societies, economies and vulnerable groups is prime to tell and tailor the responses of governments and partners to get over the crisis and make sure that nobody is left behind during this effort.
Without urgent socio-economic responses, global suffering will escalate, jeopardizing lives and livelihoods for years to return. Immediate development responses during this crisis must be undertaken with an eye fixed to the longer term. Development trajectories within the long-term are going to be suffering from the alternatives countries make now and therefore the support they receive.
The United Nations has mobilized the complete capacity of the UN system through its 131 country teams serving 162 countries and territories, to support national authorities in developing public health preparedness and response plans to the COVID-19 crisis.