TOO BAD!! 1 Billion People Living In Acute Poverty

1 Billion People Living In Acute Poverty

A recent report from the UN Development Programme has highlighted that more than one billion people worldwide are living in acute poverty, with children accounting for over half of those affected. This alarming statistic underscores the widespread nature of poverty, which is particularly severe in conflict-affected regions.

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The paper, released in collaboration with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), noted that poverty rates are three times higher in countries experiencing warfare. According to the report, 2023 has witnessed the highest number of conflicts globally since World War II, exacerbating poverty levels.

Since 2010, the UNDP and OPHI have annually published the Multidimensional Poverty Index, drawing on data from 112 countries with a combined population of 6.3 billion people. This comprehensive index evaluates poverty using various indicators, including inadequate housing, poor sanitation, lack of electricity and cooking fuel, insufficient nutrition, and low school attendance.

“The 2024 MPI paints a sobering picture: 1.1 billion people endure multidimensional poverty, of which 455 million live in the shadow of conflict,” said Yanchun Zhang, chief statistician at the UNDP.

“For the poor in conflict-affected countries, the struggle for basic needs is a far harsher and more desperate battle,” Zhang told AFP.

The report echoed last year’s findings that 1.1 billion out of 6.1 billion people across 110 countries were facing extreme multidimensional poverty.

Thursday’s paper showed that some 584 million people under 18 were experiencing extreme poverty, accounting for 27.9 percent of children worldwide, compared with 13.5 percent of adults.

It also showed that 83.2 per cent of the world’s poorest people live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.