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Over One Billion People Live in Acute Poverty: UN Report

A new United Nations report has revealed that over one billion people live in acute poverty, with nearly half residing in conflict-affected countries. The report, released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), highlights that nations in conflict exhibit significantly higher levels of deprivation across various indicators of “multidimensional poverty.” These disparities are evident in nutrition, access to electricity, water, and sanitation.

The report’s findings, based on research conducted across 112 countries and encompassing 6.3 billion people, indicate that 1.1 billion people live in extreme poverty. Of these, 455 million endure the compounded hardships of poverty within the shadow of conflict. This grim reality underlines how conflicts exacerbate deprivation, pushing millions of people into harsher living conditions.

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner noted that recent years have seen a surge in global conflicts, resulting in record casualties, displacement, and disrupted livelihoods. The report shows that children are disproportionately affected, with 584 million minors living in extreme poverty, accounting for nearly 28% of children worldwide. In conflict zones, child mortality rates soar to 8%, compared to just 1.1% in peaceful regions.

The index also found that sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are home to 83.2% of the world’s poorest people, underscoring the geographic concentration of poverty. The study identified India as the country with the largest number of people in extreme poverty, affecting 234 million of its citizens. Other countries significantly impacted include Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, collectively accounting for almost half of the world’s extreme poor.

A detailed examination of Afghanistan highlighted how conflict compounds poverty. Over five million Afghans fell into poverty between 2015-16 and 2022-23, with nearly two-thirds of the population now living below the poverty line.

Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, stressed that poverty reduction in conflict settings is slow, meaning those living in these regions are being left behind. The report concludes that addressing global poverty will require investments in peace and stability to ensure progress reaches even the most vulnerable.

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