The Covid pandemic and the ensuing economic turmoil have pushed 165 million people worldwide below the poverty line in recent years. That is the conclusion of a new UN report. A total of 1.65 billion people live below the poverty line.
Due to the Covid pandemic and the ensuing economic turmoil since 2020, the daily money available to those affected has fallen below the $3.65 threshold (approximately €3.26), the UN development agency UNDP announced on Friday. In total, more than 1.65 billion people live below this limit.
“Number could have been even higher”
“This number could have been even higher if governments had not launched social programs and economic stimulus packages during the corona crisis,” said UNDP chief Achim Steiner, the highest German representative to the United Nations. However, especially for poor countries, this burden is often unsustainable.
social consequences
This has far-reaching social consequences: “A government that can no longer employ doctors and nurses in hospitals, that cannot supply medicines to rural health centers, essentially undermines the country’s social infrastructure,” Steiner continued. This means less medical aid, less education and no social safety nets to relieve people when they can no longer support their families.
United Nations warns: 52 countries are in a debt trap
The United Nations had already warned on Wednesday that 52 countries around the world are in a debt trap that will be difficult to overcome without help. Global public debt rose to a record $92 trillion by 2022, five times what it was in 2000. Poor countries have a disproportionate share. More than 40 percent of the world’s population, 3.3 billion people, live in countries where interest payments on loans exceed spending on health care or education, it says.
148 million children under five are underdeveloped
Millions of children under the age of five still suffer from malnutrition. According to the report, by 2022, 148 million children under the age of five (22.3 percent) were underdeveloped, 45 million (6.8 percent) were acutely malnourished and 37 million (5.6 percent) were overweight.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
