Attachments
Introduction
Mauritania’s economic growth over the past decade has enabled it to graduate to the rank of lower middle-income countries. While the poverty rate has decreased as a consequence of this growth, it nevertheless remains high with 28.2 percent of the population living below the national poverty line. Mauritania scores 156 out of 189 in the Human Development Index and 150 out of 159 on the Human Capital Index, lower than expected for its income level category. Public services remain weak, especially in areas away from the main urban centres, with limited capacities particularly in the health and education sectors. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the country’s economy severely, threatening the subsistence of thousands of poor Mauritanians but also refugees. The pandemic necessitated the authorities to restrict movements across international borders, which in turn had consequences for refugees trying to reach Mauritania, one of the few safe havens for refugees in the sub-region.