IMF urges support for poorer nations facing high inflation, war spillovers

Low-income countries spend up to 14 percent of their revenue on debt repayments, IMF chief says.Published On 17 Oct 202617 Oct 2026The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a responsibility to help poorer nations struggling with rising debt, high inflation and price shocks caused by war spillovers, the head of the global lender says.Speaking as the IMF’s annual meetings in Bangkok wrapped up on Saturday, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said discussions with global policymakers showed both “optimism and worry”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3AI fears are being weaponisedlist 2 of 3Can Yemen’s government forces sustain their offensive against the Houthis?list 3 of 3Israeli raids and arrests in southern Syria push population to the brinkend of list“Optimism from the resilience of the global economy, the promise of AI, the dynamism of Asia,” Georgieva told reporters. “But AI is also recognised to be a source of worry and so are inflation, high levels of debt, wars, climate risks.”Georgieva said vulnerable nations are missing out on the AI investment boom that is driving growth in richer countries while at the same time dealing with higher borrowing costs.Higher glo...