Photo taken on Aug. 9, 2019 shows a view of the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington D.C., the United States. (File photo: Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Economic growth in the MENAP region (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan) is projected to slow to 1.4 percent in 2026 due to regional conflict, a downgrade of 2.3 percentage points from October 2025 projections, according to an IMF report released on Thursday.