A UN study in cooperation with the University of Oxford indicated that at least 1.1 billion people live in poverty, more than half of whom are children.
At least 1.1 billion people live in poverty, of which almost half (455 million) are in countries at war or in fragile peace, indicates a report published this Thursday by the UN in collaboration with the University of Oxford.
According to the study by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), released on the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which is commemorated this Thursday, More than half of the poor, 584 million, are children.and the situation is generally more serious in rural areas, where 28% of the world’s population is poor, than in urban areas, where this condition affects 6.6% of the population.
Prepared in collaboration with the Poverty and Human Development Initiative of the University of Oxford, the study indicates that a large part of the population living in poverty (83.2% of the 1.1 billion) is found in the regions of sub-Saharan Africa (553 million) and in South Asia (402 million).
In sub-Saharan Africa, subregions such as the Sahel or the eastern part of the continent are especially affected, says the analysis, which classifies the Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, Burundi, Madagascar and Mali as the poorest countries in the region.
Also according to the report, 3% of the 1.1 billion poor (34 million) live in Latin America.
Two-thirds of poverty is concentrated in developing countries, where 749 million people live in this situation, indicates the UNDP, which also points out that half of the poor population does not have electricity (579 million) and 482 million live in families. where one or more children had to leave school.
In a detailed analysis of the relationship between conflict and poverty, the study concludes that in countries at war the poverty rate is 34.8% of the total population, while in the rest it is 10.9%.
Of the 455 million poor people who live in countries in conflict, 218 million live in countries at war.
“Conflicts have intensified and multiplied in recent years, displacing millions of people and causing widespread disruption to lives and livelihoods,” said UNDP Director Achim Steiner.
“Our research shows that of the 1.1 billion people living in multidimensional poverty, almost 500 million live in countries exposed to violent conflict. We must reinforce measures to support them,” he argued, adding that “resources and access to specialized development and early recovery interventions are needed to help break the cycle of poverty and crisis.”
Source: Observadora
