More than one billion people around the world, half of whom are children, suffer from poverty “sharp”denounced the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on Thursday, September 17.
In their annual report, the UN agency and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) research center have calculated their Multidimensional Global Poverty Index since 2010, which combines data from 112 countries where 6.3 billion people live. . The Index includes indicators such as lack of adequate housing, health systems, electricity, cooking fuels, food and school systems.
« The poverty index 2024 [pour l’année 2023] presents a sobering panorama: 1.1 billion people suffer from multidimensional poverty. [Parmi eux,] 455 million live in conflict zones. In war-torn countries, poverty rates are three times higher than those in [pays] at peace”summarizes Yanchun Zhang, UNDP chief statistician. And in these nations victims of armed conflicts, “The deprivations that populations face are three to five times more acute”because, “For the poor, fighting for their basic needs is much more difficult”explains the UN official to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The poor live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
The 2023 poverty rate, for the year 2022, also affects 1.1 billion people out of 6.1 billion inhabitants in 110 countries, according to the UN. Extreme poverty still affects rural areas more than urban areas: almost 84% of the world’s poor live in the countryside. The poorest children under 18 years of age represent 584 million children and adolescents. The global child poverty rate is 27.9%, compared to 13.5% for adults.
The vast majority of the poorest (83.2%) live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, that is, the Indian subcontinent, the most populated region on the planet. The five countries with the largest very poor population show strong demographic growth: India, with 234 million people (over 1.4 billion inhabitants); Pakistan, with 93 million (of 236 million); Ethiopia, 86 million (of 123 million); Nigeria, 74 million (of 218 million); and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 66 million very poor people out of 100 million inhabitants.
For Sabina Alkire, director of OPHI, “Wars and violent conflicts not only leave deep and lasting scars on people’s lives, but also hinder poverty reduction.”. “Report reveals that 40% of the 1.1 billion poor live in conflict zones [et] that [le taux de] Overall poverty in war-affected regions is three times higher than in non-conflict areas (34.8% vs. 10.9%).explains to AFP. AND “What surprised us was the number of people fighting for a decent life while fearing for their safety: there are 455 million”complaint M.me Alkire exhorting “the international community (…) Reduce poverty to zero and at the same time promote peace.”.
