poverty

Poverty is a lack of access to essential resources and the basic necessities required for a healthy and dignified life.

712 million people, nearly 1 in 11 people globally, live on less than $2.15 a day

. . . how can that be in a world full of plenty?

The COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflicts, and extreme weather events have caused major setbacks

  • 37.9 million people living in poverty in USA alone
  • Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of children living in extreme poverty, reaching 40% in 2022.
  • Nearly 90% of children living in extreme poverty reside in either sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia.
  • Approximately 63% of people over age 15 who live in low-income countries are literate.
  • 1.1 billion people, including 566 million children, live in multidimensional poverty, accounting for just over 18% of the world’s population.

prisoners of poverty

Must we accept that poverty will always be with us? It’s hard to imagine, considering we have the resources, knowledge, and experience to consign poverty to the annals of the past. But then again, is poverty eradicable in the modern world?

The United Nations clearly expresses its aspiration for humanity to eradicate poverty, having designated the period from 1997 to 2006 as the inaugural “United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty.”

They envisioned collaboration with governments, communities, and organisations to promote economic growth, enhance accessibility to essential services, elevate the status of women, and create jobs and income opportunities. Here we are almost two decades later, and what’s changed? . . . Nothing! In fact, its becoming increasingly worse.

Ambitious objectives for sure, considering every government ‘promise’ thus far has failed! So, can global governments truly accomplish these aims? Let’s reflect on the various challenges that hinder human efforts to eliminate poverty.

The global hunger crisis is pushing one child per minute into severe malnutrition

Hunger and Malnutrition

A family living in Zaire has 15 relatives reliant on the mother’s support. Occasionally, the family manages to have a meal at least once a day, consisting of maize porridge enhanced with cassava leaves, salt, and sugar. There are times when they go without food for two or three days. “I only begin cooking when the children start to cry for food,” says mum.

This situation is quite common. In developing countries, 1 out of every 5 people goes to sleep hungry each night. Approximately 800 million people across the world are affected by chronic malnutrition, with 200 million of them being children.

These youngsters experience stunted growth and frequent illnesses, which negatively impact their academic performance. As they grow into adulthood, they bear the repercussions of these issues. Consequently, malnutrition frequently results from poverty, perpetuating the cycle of impoverishment.