The International Monetary Fund says it is actively engaging with countries affected by the Middle East conflict, assessing global economic risks and standing ready to provide support. Speaking at today’s IMF press briefing, IMF Communications Director Julie Kozack outlined the Fund’s approach.

“We are engaging very actively with our membership. We are talking to them about how we see, as I explained here, how we see some of the impacts on the, on the global economy. but also asking them, how can we best support them at this time, using the full range of tools available to us, including through our policy advice, capacity development and also financial support as needed.

We have engaged with finance ministers and central bank governors in many countries and regions. We've also engaged with regional institutions to discuss and share, perspectives on the implications of the conflict and again, how the Fund can best provide support. The overall impact, of course, is going to depend very much on the duration and intensity of the of the conflict.

We will provide an updated assessment in our World Economic Outlook in April, which will be comprehensive for the individual country level and also for global, and regional economies.”