IN today's hyper-connected world, with our interlinked economies, migrant diasporas and 24-hour news channels, it's no surprise that the war in Ukraine is being felt across the globe. The war has upended the fragile economic recovery from the pandemic not only triggering a devastating humanitarian crisis, but also increasing food and commodity prices and globally exacerbating inflationary pressures.

A new forecast released this week by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs shows how far global prospects have declined.