In July and August 2005 in Niger, 800,000 children were affected by a malnutrition crisis, caused partly by locust swarms, poor rainfall and poverty. Some 64 per cent of the population lives on under US $1 a day.
UNICEF/ HQ05-1044/Radhika Chalasani
Poverty is one of the most important global issues in the world today. Currently, one in three people globally live on less than $1 a day – that's about 65p, and almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. What's more, half of the world's children live in poverty and because of poverty, 25,000 children die each day. But it doesn't have to be this way.
Poverty is the main underlying cause of millions of preventable child deaths each year. It leaves children hungry and thirsty, without shelter or security, and makes them more likely to get sick. It forces children into dangerous work, and leaves them vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and HIV and AIDS. It takes away a child’s chance of receiving healthcare, education, and a better future. Poverty also makes violence and civil wars more likely to happen, which in turn makes poverty worse.
Poverty is like a trap. If you’re poor, you’re more likely to be exploited and are at greater risk of catching HIV. If you’re poor, you are also more likely not to be eating enough and the chance of you and your children getting sick increases. If you are sick, you then can’t work. If children are sick, they can’t go to school. Often the poorest parents can’t afford to send their children to school in any case. Their children are then unable to find a way out of poverty and illness and the cycle continues.
Reducing poverty for future generations begins with children – in fact six of the eight Millennium Development Goals can best be achieved by working with and for children. For example, educating girls has been shown to improve the local economy, and reduce the number of children who die before they’re five years old (because their mothers know how to keep them healthy). Education also helps to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.
In Europe, the average cow gets $2 a day in subsidies. More than half of the people in the world live on less than this. One fifth live on less than $1 – that’s about 65p. How did we end up living in a world where cows are richer than half of the world’s people?
What is UNICEF doing?
UNICEF permanently works through campaigning, research, education, health care, fundraising and HIV prevention to improve the lives of the world’s poorest children. At present we are campaigning globally on HIV and AIDS and children, as HIV and AIDS is itself causing many communities to plunge further into poverty.
What can we do?
In the UK we can keep putting pressure on the Government to keep the promises it has made to help poorer countries. We can also tell them that they need to do even more if they’re serious about ending world poverty in ways such as making trade fair and writing off debts.
Further issues