The Relevance of SDGs and IDF during and after Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic that alarmed a public health emergency of global concern derailed from track every country in the world to attain the SDGs by 2030. All this signals that SDGs through international development finance are even more important than ever before pandemic. COVID-19 had negatively affected several goals including SDGs 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger), 3 (good health and wellbeing), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 10 (reduced inequalities). Pandemic also caused a setback for the economic globalization throughout the globe where world merchandise trade fell between 13% and 32% after the viral wave and foreign direct investment levels also dropped by 40% which constituted 60% of development finance. Thus, there is a serious shortage of development finance throughout the globe and this issue needs to be addressed on urgent basis since international development finance is the backbone to attain SDGs with in time or before 2030.