Poverty Info

1. POVERTY
Poverty is general scarcity, dearth, or the state of one who
lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money.
It is a multifaceted concept, which includes social,
economic, and political elements.

2. FACTS
 About 3 million people live on less than USD$2.50 a day.
 The poorest 40 percent of the world's population accounts for 5 percent
of global income.
 The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of world income.
 According to UNICEF (United Nations International Children's
Emergency Fund), 22,000 children die each day due to poverty.
 Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was
needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn't
happen.

3. EFFECTS
 Widespread disease and hunger - One third of deaths are due to poverty-
related causes: in total 270 million people have died as a result of poverty since 1990.
According to the World Health Organization, hunger and malnutrition are the single
gravest threats to the world's public
 Illiteracy - In the US educational system, these children are at a higher risk than
other children for retention in their grade, special placements during the school's
hours and even not completing their high school education.
 Violence - 51% of fifth graders from New Orleans (median income for a
household: $27,133) have been found to be victims of violence, compared to 32% in
Washington, DC (mean income for a household: $40,127).

4. ACTIONS BEING TAKEN
 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty - This call was made by Joseph
Wresinski, and was officially recognised by the United Nations in 1992.
 Government Schemes - Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs aim to reduce
poverty by making welfare programs conditional upon the receivers' actions. The government
only transfers the money to persons who meet certain criteria.
 Voluntary Welfare Organisations - Examples include the Center for Global
Development (CGD), End Poverty Now (EPN), and the United Nations Development
Program Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
 Grameen Bank- a microfinance organization and community development bank started
in Bangladesh.