India’s railways transport millions of passengers daily, connecting cities and communities across the country. However, connectivity between major cities and tier-2 and tier-3 cities has been historically uneven. Since the turn of the century, increased government investment has accelerated railway modernization, including faster trains, upgraded stations and new safety technologies. Services such as Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat, alongside the Amrit Bharat Station scheme, are reshaping passenger rail connectivity across the country. This article examines how these investments can expand economic opportunities and potentially contribute to poverty reduction.
Why Does Railway Connectivity Matter?
Smaller cities, rural communities and remote regions often have weaker connections to jobs, education and health care. Poor connectivity can limit businesses’ access to larger markets and make it harder for workers to pursue opportunities outside their immediate areas. Better connectivity can also encourage tourism and increase spending in less-developed regions. The Borgen Project spoke with Lakshya Bafna, an international business student with a scholarship from Macquarie University. He said, “From an economic-development perspective, improved railway connectivity reduces generalized transportation costs—not just the ticket price, but also travel time, reliability and the cost of accessing economic opportunities.”
Vande Bharat: Faster Connectivity and Economic Opportunity
The first Vande Bharat service was launched in 2019 between New Delhi and Varanasi. Since then, the service has expanded across India. While its fares may make it inaccessible to some lower-income households, its economic effects can extend beyond direct passengers. Faster connections can help workers reach economic centers, facilitate business activity and increase access to tourism destinations. These effects may contribute to the growth of smaller cities along its routes. Bafna explained that “positive externalities and indirect economic benefits” are important, noting that Vande Bharat can contribute to “positive effects on labor market forces, increased productivity and business activity, increased tourism, infrastructure spillovers, and improved railway network effects.”
Amrit Bharat: Expanding Affordable Connectivity
Amrit Bharat is a non-air-conditioned long-distance train service operated by Indian Railways, designed to provide affordable travel for low- and middle-income passengers. By reducing the cost of long-distance rail travel, it can make employment and economic opportunities more accessible to lower-income households. While Vande Bharat demonstrates how faster connectivity can create economic spillovers, Amrit Bharat illustrates how affordability can make those opportunities accessible to a wider population. Bafna said, “This is arguably a more direct poverty-reduction mechanism because affordability determines whether lower-income households can actually participate in the transport network. Affordable rail services can reduce the cost of accessing employment.” He continued, “For example, suppose someone lives in a smaller town but works in a larger city. If affordable rail makes daily or weekly commuting economically viable, the worker gains access to a much larger labor market.”
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme: Modernizing India’s Railway Gateways
The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is a railway station redevelopment program aimed at modernizing facilities across India. Announced in 2022, the scheme targets more than 1,300 stations for redevelopment. Upgrades include improved passenger facilities, accessibility infrastructure and wider platforms designed to accommodate growing passenger numbers. By making stations more accessible and functional, the scheme can improve people’s ability to use rail services and connect with employment, education, health care and markets. Better stations can therefore complement improved train services by making the wider railway network more accessible to communities.
How Can Railway Modernization Support Poverty Reduction?
Better rail connectivity can expand the geographical area in which people can seek employment. Railway construction, maintenance and associated activities can also generate jobs. Improved mobility can give workers and businesses greater access to markets and suppliers, while lower transportation costs can make economic activity more efficient.
Railway modernization can also support local economic activity around stations. Bafna said, “A railway station can function as an economic node, not merely a place where passengers board trains.” He explained that modernization can create opportunities in construction, maintenance, retail and services, while potentially increasing demand for hospitality, taxis and logistics. Better stations could also make surrounding areas more attractive to businesses and investors, creating additional opportunities for employment and economic activity.
Kavach: Strengthening Railway Safety
Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system that the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) developed to improve railway safety. The system provides automated train protection and collision-prevention capabilities, including protection against Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), overspeeding, rollback and certain side, head-on and rear-end collisions. Kavach can also automatically apply brakes in specified situations, including when a train exceeds its permitted speed or when the system detects two trains moving toward each other on the same track section.
By adding another layer of protection to train operations, the system can support safer and more reliable rail services. Reliable rail services matter to passengers and businesses that depend on trains for mobility and the movement of goods. However, Kavach should not be presented as a direct poverty-reduction measure. Instead, safer, more reliable railway operations may limit disruptions to the movement of people and goods, complementing broader railway investments in connectivity and affordability.
Who Benefits From Railway Modernization?
The modernization of India’s railways requires significant public investment and can create employment through construction and infrastructure projects. Upgraded stations, including wider platforms, escalators and lifts, can also make rail services more accessible to passengers such as students, migrant workers, vendors and transport operators. However, connecting a poorer region with a wealthier one does not automatically make its residents richer. The benefits depend on affordability, accessibility, employment opportunities and local economic capacity. Bafna said the economic impact of railway modernization should be evaluated “not only by passenger numbers or travel-time savings,” but also by its effects on productivity, labor mobility, market access, employment, regional development and the distribution of benefits across income groups.
Conclusion
The modernization of India’s railways does not directly reduce poverty, but it can support the economic conditions that help communities escape it. Better rail connectivity can reduce transportation and logistics costs, expand access to employment and markets and create opportunities for businesses, tourists, students and migrant workers. If lower-income communities can access these opportunities, railway modernization may contribute to higher incomes and long-term poverty reduction. Ultimately, rail infrastructure is not a cure for poverty, but a tool connecting communities to economic opportunities.
– Dhruv Bandhu
Dhruv is based in Bengaluru, India and focuses on Good News, Technology and Solutions, and Global Health for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Pexels
An Update on HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia
Growth trends of HIV/AIDS in Macedonia, later known as North Macedonia, from February 2017, display a consistently low prevalence rate of 0.1% from 2005 to present, and more than 600 people currently live with the disease. Rates are higher for men than women. Transmission commonly occurs through sex or sharing of injections.
Data Challenges
Issues in this area include unreliable data due to social stigma, such as that related to drug use. Consequently, people may not want to participate. Other barriers to data collection include a lack of awareness among vulnerable individuals who may contract it, and financial crises that prevent people from volunteering in trials. Unreliable data makes epidemiological patterns harder to predict. Surveillance also lacks focus on vulnerable populations.
In 2005, Macedonia had a low prevalence of HIV/AIDS, with the main mode of infection being sexual contact. Between 5,000 and 6,000 drug users were registered in Macedonia. Injected drug users (IDU) form the majority of these users, leading to potential increases in the risk of the epidemic concentrating around IDUs in the future.
People most vulnerable include youth, injected drug users, prisoners, juvenile delinquents and the mobile population, such as seasonal workers and commercial sex workers (CSW).
Socioeconomic Challenges
Challenges contributing to vulnerability in Macedonia include poverty, with 21.8% living in poverty. Most impoverished individuals reside in rural areas, where mortality rates are higher compared to cities, and education levels, including regarding HIV/AIDS, are lower.
Past Funding – GFATM
In Macedonia, public health expenditure was around 6% from 1999 to 2003. A foreign grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) of $4.4 million was provided from 2004 to 2006, and Macedonia and Serbia were the only countries that received it. Even then, the resource gap was quite large, by $2 million or more.
Funding was crucial during this time, supporting prevention and treatment efforts. This source suggests the government worked across sectors to implement prevention and treatment effectively. However, this GFATM funding did not cover surveillance, thus more resources are necessary to reach the desired outcome of containing the illness. Nonetheless, the country had a robust plan and funding to aid in the fight against HIV/AIDS nationally.
Recent Funding Cuts
Since June 2017, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has ceased funding HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia, leaving the Ministry of Health as the main funding source. The low chance of contracting HIV/AIDS led to substantial budget cuts every year for four years by 40% by the Ministry of Health. Due to early implementation of prevention strategies and other initiatives, North Macedonia has not experienced an endemic for HIV/AIDS.
Not only were rates low for contracting HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia, by 2017, it became classified as an upper-middle-income status, making the argument for budget cuts more robust. Nonetheless, the government worked closely with the Global Fund to ensure links between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the government remained strong.
Need for Increased Funding
Many believe that the budget cuts risk undermining infrastructure and capacities built from 2005 to 2017 funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which provided over $25 million for HIV nationally. There is a risk of closure of HIV prevention programs that have been effective over the last couple of decades. This may further impact the right to access healthcare if cuts continue.
Companies specializing in HIV prevention and treatment highlight the risk of infections rising with cuts to these services, such as the European AIDS Treatment Group. Almost a quarter of the population now lives in poverty in North Macedonia, which could lead to catastrophe if someone living in poverty acquired HIV/AIDS. Economic constraints already limit access to healthcare. Marginalized people, such as those in rural areas and disabled individuals, already have trouble accessing adequate healthcare, which would project a worse outcome for these people. Additionally, there is a lack of key workers to support HIV/AIDS patients. Each patient has a right to health, and these cuts could take that away from them.
For the last four years, there have been substantial budget cuts toward HIV/AIDS. In 2025, more than 1.46 million euros is allocated for HIV prevention, which is less than what the country needed the previous year.
Proposed Solutions
Some have written to the government and ministry officials. Following the budget cut, 16 Macedonian civil society organizations united to create a joint platform to advocate for sustainable financing of HIV programs. This effort focuses on reversing the government budget cuts.
A social worker believes that it is essential to continue pressing the government and policymakers about the importance of funding in this sector of healthcare, so that people with an HIV diagnosis are never denied treatment.
Focusing on treating patients who have HIV/AIDS is important. “Empowering Patients for a Healthier Society – Annual Work Programme 2025” is funded by the European Union and is a project aiming to increase quality of life by making treatment more accessible and encouraging a more inclusive and beneficial healthcare environment. By doing so, this gives those with HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia more control over their lives and more self-confidence. There is also prevention education, early detection education and a supportive community after receiving the diagnosis. The actual results have yet to be published. However, this is a key type of solution that spreads awareness and makes healthcare more accessible.
When the Ministry of Health took over responsibility for funding HIV/AIDS, positive results emerged two years later, with HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia receiving funding completely internally. North Macedonia is a model example for countries to follow when they cut budgets for good reason.
– Emilia Upton
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
How UNDP in Sudan is Helping the Country Grow
Since the outbreak of conflict in 2023, nearly 6.9 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty. Farming communities have collapsed, more than 70% of health care facilities in conflict-affected areas have shut, and diseases such as cholera, HIV and TB have become more prevalent. Children’s education has been disrupted. UNDP reports it plans to continue supporting Sudan in the long term, including through access to services, clean energy, training and livelihood programs that strengthen communities’ self-reliance. Here is information about how UNDP is helping Sudan grow.
Clean and Sustainable Energy
UNDP provides solar-powered energy to ensure farming, health care facilities, and businesses have a cost-effective, clean, reliable, and sustainable source of energy. For example, many of the farms around the River Nile relied on diesel-fueled water irrigation systems. With the state of the economy and conflict in Sudan, this became an expensive and unreliable form of energy. Many farms had to cut back on fuel, which led to failing crops. With UNDP’s help and funding from the Republic of Korea, 300 farms received solar-powered irrigation systems, helping to maintain livelihoods in a clean and cost-effective way.
Helping Communities Grow
UNDP partnered with the UN Interim Security Force of Abyei to provide support for individuals in communities by creating jobs, supporting farmers, empowering women, providing clean water and offering training to ensure conflict resolution and peacekeeping. UNDP set up a local community management committee, giving people a voice and enabling each community to assess needs and assistance priorities. This committee identified the need for home-grown gardens, providing women with seeds, tools and training to produce food for their families while giving them the initiative to sell excess produce. UNDP established the Village Savings and Loans Association to empower women, support small businesses, and provide financial stability for more than 170 women. In one case, the association brought together 25 women from different communities to set up and run a produce business, sharing the capital and profits.
Achievements
UNDP has been working to help the people of Sudan. These efforts have:
The work UNDP does would not be possible without the backing of governments in other countries and funding from supporting partners. However, the need is still growing. UNDP Sudan Resident Representative Luca Renda stated, “To truly match the courage and determination of the Sudanese people, we must do more.” UNDP continues to support the Sudanese people and its communities, helping Sudan grow in its economy, agriculture, clean energy initiative, and peace.
– Shannon Waters
Photo: Flickr
How Humanitarian Law Supports Civilian Protection in Sudan
Sudan’s war has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies. UNICEF reported that 33.7 million people needed humanitarian assistance in 2026 alone, including 17.3 million children, while more than 9.1 million people were displaced internally by June. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) estimated that close to 19.5 million people, almost 41% of the population, faced high levels of acute food insecurity between the months of February and May 2026. These figures make civilian protection in Sudan more than a question of preventing injury and death. Protecting hospitals, water systems, food supplies and humanitarian access can also limit disruptions to essential services and the financial pressures that can deepen poverty as the conflict continues.
How International Humanitarian Law Protects Civilians
The International Committee of the Red Cross classified the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a non-international armed conflict. A non-international armed conflict is defined as sustained fighting between state armed forces and an organized armed group or multiple non-state groups. Some of the specific laws that help to minimize harm for civilians are Common Article 3 and Additional Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions. Customary humanitarian law also requires warring parties to distinguish civilians and civilian infrastructure from military objectives. These rules also prohibit attacks expected to cause excessive civilian harm relative to the anticipated military advantage and require precautions to minimize harm. For civilian protection in Sudan, these rules are vital because damage to civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, water systems and food markets can affect civilians even after the fighting ends.
The Economic Costs of Damaged Health Systems
Sudan’s health system shows how damage to civilian infrastructure can create economic as well as humanitarian consequences. In April 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 37% of health facilities across Sudan were nonfunctional and that it had verified 217 attacks on health care since 2023, resulting in a documented count of 2,052 deaths and 810 verified injuries. The WHO also reported that civilian patients in some conflict-affected areas have had to make long and especially dangerous journeys to reach functioning facilities. The ICRC separately notes that disruptions to essential services can often force civilians to pay out of pocket at a significant personal cost to meet their basic needs, especially when essential services fail. For households already facing displacement or loss of income, these added costs can severely deepen financial hardship.
The economic effects extend well beyond individual medical expenses paid by civilians and families. The ICRC reports that disruptions to water, health and energy systems weaken the overall local and regional economies. This affects livelihoods and increases the cost of resources and personnel needed for reconstruction and broader recovery efforts. The ICRC also notes that weapons utilized in the conflict can cause permanent and life-altering injuries to civilians that sometimes require long-term support. Protecting essential services therefore also helps to preserve the economic foundations communities need to recover.
Hunger, Displacement and Lost Livelihoods
The connection between conflict and economic hardship is especially visible in Sudan’s food crisis. The IPC estimated that almost 19.5 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity between the months of February and May of 2026. Of that total, more than 5 million people were living under Emergency (IPC Phase 4) conditions. The IPC also identified a risk of famine in 14 specific areas in Sudan, including North Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan. This estimate was calculated under a reasonable worst-case scenario involving intensified conflict and further restrictions on humanitarian access and freedom of movement of goods and people. An estimated 825,000 children under the age of 5 were expected to experience severe acute malnutrition in 2026 alone. Conflict can also separate families from farmland, livelihoods, livestock and other financial and employment opportunities, further reducing the resources available to sustain food and income.
International law also protects humanitarian relief and necessities essential to the survival of civilians and families. The ICRC explains that when civilians face shortages of essential supplies such as food, medicine and other life-saving goods, parties to the conflict have an obligation to consent to exclusively humanitarian and impartial relief action for civilians. The U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan reported in September 2025 that humanitarian assistance had been obstructed, convoys attacked or destroyed and humanitarian aid workers were specifically targeted. The report also attributed serious violations to both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and additionally documented extensive destruction of civilian medical centers, food markets and other essential facilities. These are findings of the U.N.-mandated mission, rather than assumptions about the motives of either side.
From Legal Protection to Humanitarian Action
International Humanitarian Law alone cannot end Sudan’s devastating war, but humanitarian organizations use its protections as a framework for practical assistance. The ICRC reported that it supported an estimated 3.9 million people across the whole of Sudan in the year 2025. An additional 3.3 million were estimated to have gained improved access to safe water and more than 154,000 received emergency care at ICRC-supported hospitals. More than 310,000 received assistance during outbreaks of cholera, malaria and other diseases. These interventions do not demonstrate that poverty has fallen, but they can reduce immediate household pressures by preserving access to essential services that civilians and families might otherwise have to travel long distances, make dangerous journeys or pay significant amounts to obtain.
UNICEF reported similarly measurable assistance from January to June 2026. UNICEF and its partners provided an estimated 6.6 million people with access to safe water, supported 1.3 million people with primary health care and treated approximately 174,700 children for severe acute malnutrition. These programs do not entirely erase the economic, physical or emotional losses families may have experienced, but they demonstrate how civilian protection in Sudan can translate into concrete support that preserves health care, basic and essential services, while reducing some of the pressures facing vulnerable individuals and families.
Looking Ahead
Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is an example of why the laws of war have consequences well beyond the battlefield. Protecting hospitals, food and water systems and other essential civilian infrastructure can preserve and support life-saving services, reduce the financial burdens for civilians and families and further help to limit the destruction of Sudanese livelihoods. Ultimately civilian protection in Sudan depends on greater respect for humanitarian law and sustained humanitarian access. These measures cannot substitute for a political and diplomatic end to the conflict, but they can help to preserve human life, essential services and the economic foundations communities need to effectively recover.
– Elias Haskins
Photo: Flickr
How Gains in Healthcare in Bhutan Mask Gaps for the Vulnerable
Bhutan has made significant progress in improving healthcare and reducing poverty, but access to essential health services remains uneven for some rural and vulnerable communities. Continued investment in healthcare in Bhutan could help the country build on its health gains while supporting household well-being and long-term poverty reduction.
Bhutan reduced its national poverty rate from 28% in 2017 to 11.6% in 2022, according to the World Bank. However, poverty remains predominantly rural, with 87% of the country’s poor people living in rural areas. These disparities make access to essential services particularly important for communities that may already face economic and geographic challenges.
Bhutan Has Made Significant Health Gains
Bhutan has recorded substantial improvements in health outcomes over the past two decades. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), maternal mortality fell from 255 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 53 in 2023. During the same period, under-five mortality declined from 84 deaths per 1,000 live births to 19.5.
The country has also maintained immunization coverage above 99%, while institutional delivery rates reached 98.5% in 2023. These improvements reflect Bhutan’s continued investment in health services and efforts to expand access to essential care.
The 2023 National Health Survey also reported improvements in access to health services across the country. These gains provide a strong foundation for continued progress in healthcare in Bhutan, while remaining gaps show the importance of ensuring that vulnerable communities can benefit from these improvements.
Rural Communities Still Face Healthcare Gaps
Despite these improvements, geography can affect access to healthcare in Bhutan. The country’s mountainous terrain and dispersed communities can make travel to health facilities more difficult, particularly for people living in rural areas.
Bhutan’s 2023 National Health Survey found that 72.9% of the population lived less than 30 minutes from the nearest health facility. However, 8.6% lived between one and two hours away, 2.5% lived between two and three hours away and 0.8% lived more than three hours away.
The survey also found differences between urban and rural households in the type of health facility located closest to them. Hospitals were the closest facility for 87.4% of urban households surveyed, compared with 37.6% of rural households. Primary health centers were the closest facility for 52.8% of rural households.
These differences highlight the importance of strengthening primary healthcare and referral services so that people living outside major population centers can access appropriate care.
Healthcare Access Can Affect Household Finances
Access to healthcare can also affect household finances. Illness can create financial pressure through medical expenses, transportation costs and time away from work.
Bhutan’s 2023 National Health Survey found that 46.7% of households incurred health expenditures. Households spent an average of Nu 1,000.8 per month on healthcare-related expenses.
Transportation accounted for 60.7% of health expenditure among rural households. For families living farther from health facilities, transportation can therefore add to the financial burden associated with seeking medical care.
These costs are particularly relevant for households with limited financial resources. When families must spend money traveling to receive healthcare, fewer resources may remain available for other household needs. Improving access to healthcare can therefore help reduce some of the financial and geographic barriers that vulnerable households face when seeking essential services.
Continued Investment Can Strengthen Bhutan’s Progress
Bhutan’s health achievements provide a foundation for addressing remaining gaps. The WHO Country Cooperation Strategy for Bhutan for 2026–2030 focuses on strengthening collaboration with the Royal Government of Bhutan to improve health and development outcomes.
The strategy builds on a partnership between WHO and Bhutan that began in 1982 and identifies continued improvements in health services and health-system capacity as part of the country’s health priorities.
Bhutan is also strengthening its preparedness for health emergencies. In March 2026, the Ministry of Health and WHO convened a consultation to finalize the country’s National Action Plan for Health Security. The process produced a five-year strategic plan and a prioritized 24-month operational plan addressing gaps in health security capacities.
The plan brings together multiple sectors and focuses on strengthening Bhutan’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies. Continued investments such as these can strengthen the country’s health system while improving resilience to future health challenges.
Conclusion
Bhutan has made significant progress in improving healthcare and reducing poverty, but gaps in access remain for some rural and vulnerable communities. Differences in travel time to health facilities and healthcare-related expenses show the importance of continued attention to accessibility. Building on the country’s health achievements while addressing these gaps can help more communities benefit from Bhutan’s development progress and support healthier, more resilient households.
– Adebisi Aliyah Adeola
Photo: Unsplash
How UNHCR is Giving Aid to Congolese Refugees and Burundi Returnees
The M23 armed group emerged in 2012 from former members of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), taking its name from a March 23, 2009, peace agreement. The peace agreement provided for the integration of CNDP members into Congolese institutions, but its implementation remained contested. In 2012, former CNDP fighters rebelled against the Congolese government, alleging that elements of the agreement had not been honored.
Renewed fighting involving M23 has displaced large numbers of people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the Mixed Migration Centre, more than 1.1 million Congolese are spread across Africa. Additionally, according to UNHCR’s Burundi situation page, as of Aug. 31, 153,560 Burundian refugees are spread across other parts of Africa, like Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. As Congolese refugees struggle to return home alongside Burundi returnees, UNHCR supports this reintegration process.
What is UNHCR?
UNHCR, a U.N. organization, was established in 1950 in the aftermath of the Second World War. It dedicates itself to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees. In September 2026, UNHCR published an operational update on assistance to Congolese refugees in Burundi and voluntary returns to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have been aiding displaced Burundians returning home since 2008, with a recent funding request as of December 2025 of $47.2 million.
According to their Burundi page, more than 100,000 people are displaced, including about 91,000 refugees and the rest being asylum-seekers. Most of these displaced people come from the DRC, with the influx increasing rapidly due to rising tensions between the M23 and the Congolese military. Since 2017, more than 185,000 Burundians have returned home mainly from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and the DRC.
Aid to Congolese Refugees and Burundian Returnees
UNHCR and its partners assist Congolese refugees living in Burundi and facilitate voluntary return for people going back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while also supporting Burundians returning to their own country. Here is how UNHCR is offering aid to Congolese refugees and Burundian returnees.
In an operational update, UNHCR highlights a handful of basic needs delivered to Burundi: education, protection, medical treatment and nutrition, food security, shelter, infrastructure, energy, water, sanitation and hygiene. UNHCR and its partners provide protection services, including legal assistance, efforts to address gender-based violence, and support for access to education. In Busuma alone, 890 people participated in awareness activities.
UNHCR protects physical health and well-being. For example, 7,690 medical consultations were completed for 6,312 refugees and 1,378 residents. In Musenyi, 1,572 refugees received medical consultations and 755 locals. UNHCR’s update also describes the provision of water and other essential services. In Busuma, 30,000 Burundian Francs ($10 USD) were distributed to each individual along with cereal, oil and salt.
Safe access to hygiene was provided as well, with 722 latrines in Musasa cleaned by UNHCR representatives and more latrines approved for construction in Musenyi. As the number of Congolese refugees and Burundian returnees rises, there is less access to shelter. To combat this, UNHCR distributed 325 to 299 families, housing 1,290 people. As the organization continues voluntary returns to the DRC, houses are being vacated, allowing UNHCR to reallocate these households. In total, 677 people representing 162 households were reallocated.
UNHCR approved future housing in Mibakwe and Kiranira for returnees, allowing them to thrive and better reintegrate themselves back home. This also includes 58 shelters in Rumadari, Gasenyi, and Rugadari, and 50 shelters in the Busoni commune. This is in accordance with efforts to reintegrate Burundians back home. While there is much more aid being distributed, one highlight of UNHCR’s work is the voluntary returns of Congolese refugees and reintegrating Burundians at home. As of Sept. 11, 2,084 Congolese refugees voluntarily returned home, bringing the total to 18,232 people.
UNHCR has outlined a plan in efforts to aid Congolese refugees and Burundian returnees.
Looking Ahead
UNHCR is taking sufficient steps toward providing aid to the voluntary return of Congolese people and Burundian returnees, but there are still more needs that need to be met, essentials such as food, water, shelter, access to health care, protection, hygiene and infrastructure. UNHCR has appealed for additional financial support as needs for protection, shelter, health care and livelihoods continue to exceed available resources.
– Olive Nelson
Photo: Flickr
What to Know About the Pivot to Tackling Rural Poverty in Vietnam
Vietnam has long been a standout nation in Southeast Asia for targeting poverty reduction. In 2022, only 1.6% of the population lived on less than $3.00 per day, while 1.9% fell into the multi-dimensional poverty category. The multi-dimensional poverty rate refers to the percentage of the population living with deprivations other than a low income; factors like poor health, education or low access to electricity or clean water. In Vietnam, this poverty is concentrated outside of the cities—70% of the Vietnamese population lives in rural or mountainous regions, and they account for more than 90% of Vietnam’s poor.
The New-Style Rural Development Programme
Vietnam has merged two government tracks, poverty reduction and rural advancement, into one new decade-long national initiative: the New-Style Rural Development Programme. This initiative does not seek to simply temporarily lower rural poverty in Vietnam. Nguyễn Đình Hòa, an expert from the Vietnam Institute of Economics and World Economy, says the New-Style Rural Development Programme’s version of poverty reduction will measure a poor household’s ability to withstand risks and sustain livelihood long term.
Going Green
Due to the agricultural nature of rural and mountainous regions, a core component of the initiative is restructuring the green economy with emphasis on sustainability and climate resilience. It is the first time Vietnamese policy has officially integrated these concepts, with Vietnam placing special significance on a circular economy over linear production methods. A circular economy seeks to reduce waste by keeping products and resources in rotation for as long as possible. Expert Trần Xuân Quỳnh believes that, as market requirements both domestically and internationally become stricter, adopting green measures in the nation will help in “increasing brand value and expanding export opportunities,” thereby stimulating the economy and decreasing rural poverty in Vietnam.
The initiative will also target cutting emissions and preserving the environment. The government will keep forest coverage at more than 42%. There will also be designated investment in climate-resilient infrastructure in rural regions and establishments for flood, landslide and drought prevention. Concerning multidimensional poverty, the New-Style Rural Development Programme will target access to clean water and treating solid waste in line with regulations. By the end of 2026, Vietnam aims for 62% of rural households to have access to clean water.
Digital Development
A digital transformation in rural Vietnam will take place in tandem with greener policy. Rural Vietnamese lack the same abilities to use telecommunication infrastructure as people in urban areas. Consequently, rural digital use is generally tied to providing entertainment rather than generating productivity or economic value.
The application of technology will enhance efficiency for rural businesses by allowing them to track emissions and energy use. Digital development is thus a core component of the One Commune-One Product (OCOP) program, which aims to develop quality and environmentally friendly goods by region, boosting local economies with a unique product. The program will also implement technology to expedite processing, help brands build a name and expand their markets much further than just the region from which they originate.
Increasing Income
By combining these elements, the ultimate economic goal of the program is to increase rural incomes. By the end of the first phase of the New-Style Rural Development Programme in 2030, the state hopes to increase rural incomes by two and a half to three times compared to 2020. Additionally, the aim is for multidimensional poverty to be reduced by 1-1.5% each year, and to stamp out poverty definitively in what the state considers “poor communes” (poverty). The initiative gives remote ethnic minorities special consideration as they are disproportionately concentrated in these communes. It should reduce the poverty rate in these households to below 10%. At the time of the program’s completion in 2035, 85% or more of communes should meet the new rural standard, and authorities should recognize approximately 33% as modern rural areas.
The New-Style Rural Development Programme may be a national initiative, but it operates on a community level to build the livelihoods of those living in rural poverty in Vietnam to withstand risk and ultimately prosper. Combining digital and green developments will stimulate local economies in a unique way, allowing communities all over the country to retain their respective cultures while moving toward a common goal.
– Hana Hardenbrook
Photo: Flickr
Poverty Reduction in Albania
Albania continues to face poverty and regional inequality, but economic development and public investment have helped improve opportunities for many households. Fortunately, some efforts are in place to work toward poverty reduction in Albania.
Beating the Odds
Albania has pursued reforms and development programs intended to reduce poverty. Over the past two decades, poverty has declined. However, the decline has not been without delays. Albania’s economy suffered from the 2008 financial crisis, and poverty rose in the years following the crisis.
World Bank estimates place 0.3% of Albania’s population below the international $3-per-day extreme-poverty line in 2020, measured in 2021 purchasing-power-parity dollars. Economic growth and poverty reduction are related but distinct measures.
Stronger labor markets, wage growth and reforms have accompanied Albania’s declining poverty rate, according to the World Bank. Additionally, the increase in economic stability is a result of private consumption, tourism and construction. By strengthening relationships with the European Union and focusing on structural reforms, Albania is bringing better living conditions to its people.
Rural Migration
In the rural areas of Albania, people lack economic opportunities, leading to emigration. Emigration from these rural areas is high because there is a lack of education, training and low infrastructure development in rural zones.
The migration patterns from rural areas to other cities and nations are important, for around 54% of Albania’s population lived in urban areas in 2011. The population steadily increased to 63% in 2021, and the United Nations estimates that it will reach 80% by 2050.
A World Bank report indicates that Albania has some of the highest per capita emigration rates in the region.
The World Bank-supported Regional and Local Roads Connectivity Project aims to improve road access in rural areas, helping communities access basic services and markets.
Albania’s Future
Albania’s development strategy includes investments intended to strengthen connectivity, employment and public services.
National programs have begun to prioritize investment in farmer training, infrastructure and regional markets. One major program created by the World Bank Group, endorsed by the Board of Executive Directors on March 16, 2023, is the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework for Albania (2023-2027). This program focuses on helping Albania create better jobs for its population and increase human capital. The 2023–2027 Country Partnership Framework sets out an indicative financing envelope of $900 million for programs supporting jobs, human capital and resilience.
Current programs aim to support jobs, human capital and resilience. Their long-term contribution to poverty reduction will depend on implementation and outcomes.
– Kelly Thomas
Photo: Flickr
Child Marriage in Maldives: The Quiet Crisis Behind Paradise
Child marriage in Maldives remains a quiet issue, particularly affecting young girls with limited access to education and reliable protection services. Although the legal marriage age is 18, exceptions and informal unions have historically placed vulnerable girls at risk.
Rural Pressures and Uneven Access to Education
UNICEF’s 2025 situation analysis reports that, in a 2016 survey, 2% of young women and men ages 20 to 24 had married before age 18. However, families living on remote islands face higher economic insecurity and limited access to secondary schooling. This results from the lack of functioning secondary schools on remote islands, requiring students to travel or relocate, an option that is impossible for many families.
Varying interpretations of national legislation also influences child marriage in Maldives. While national laws set the legal marriage age to 18, judicial exceptions have historically allowed marriages below that age. Family law formerly sanctioned under-18 marriages with court approval surrounding the occurrence of puberty in young girls, reflecting earlier legal frameworks that permitted exceptions. Economic insecurity and educational barriers may increase girls’ vulnerability, although the supplied data do not establish that relationship for particular islands. Supreme Court approval is required for underage marriage and UNICEF data provides more insights.
Journalists and human rights groups have documented cases where girls leave school to marry, often entering households where they have little autonomy. Early marriage can restrict girls’ access to employment and expose them to domestic instability, especially when they marry older men. NGOs working in the Maldives emphasize that education remains the strongest safeguard against early marriage, yet consistent, high-quality schooling varies widely across the archipelago.
Policy Progress and Persistent Challenges
The Maldives has strengthened its child protection laws in recent years. The 2019 Child Rights Protection Act criminalized child marriage; however, UNICEF’s 2025 review notes that other legislation still allows under-18 marriage in special circumstances with Supreme Court approval and recommends harmonizing the laws. Nonetheless, enforcement remains difficult on remote islands, where limited oversight means informal religious ceremonies can bypass legal requirements and go unregistered, leaving girls without the protections that formal documentation is intended to provide.
Child protection officials note that informal marriages are one of the biggest obstacles to enforcing the law. Several cases surfaced involving informal unions that only came to light when girls sought medical assistance after the act had been passed. Incidents like these highlight the need for stronger community-level reporting systems and greater awareness of legal protection.
Collaborative Efforts for Change
Several organizations are actively working to reduce child marriage in the Maldives through education, community engagement and child protection services. UNFPA Maldives, operating in the country since 1976, runs programs across the country focused on empowering girls through providing safe spaces for refuge and education on gender-based discrepancies. Survey findings indicate that child marriage has declined, but the evidence does not attribute this change to any particular organization.
Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) focuses on raising awareness surrounding children’s rights. In 2009 ARC registered in the Maldives. Since then, campaigns such as ‘Hope’ have operated in the country, working toward preventing child abuse. These initiatives seek to raise awareness of children’s rights and child protection.
Together, education, child protection and community engagement may help strengthen support for vulnerable girls.
A Positive Path Forward
The Maldives’ progress highlights that change is possible when legal reform, community engagement and education come together. By expanding access to schooling, strengthening child protection networks and supporting girls’ ambitions, organizations across the archipelago are helping to ensure that every girl can choose her future freely. While challenges remain, the growing collaboration between communities, NGOs and government agencies offers a hopeful path toward ending child marriage in Maldives and improving opportunities for girls across the islands.
– Lottie Oldreive
Photo: Flickr
Veritree Business Growth: A Step Closer to Restoring Nature
Veritree uses new tracking technology to manage, maintain and accurately gather data on how many trees are being planted through its projects, providing business investors and partners with accurate data.
Company Background
Veritree was officially started in 2019 by the founders of another company, Tentree. Tentree was launched in 2012 by founders Derrick Emsley, Kalen Emsley and David Luba. The company began as a consumer-based business that promised every item sold would result in 10 trees being planted. In just two years, Tentree had successfully planted more than one million trees. Two years later, the company became a certified B Corporation. In 2019, the founders launched Veritree to use technology to track and provide accurate data on trees being planted, allowing business investors to track progress accurately. Veritree reports reaching 100 million trees planted and verified by 2025.
Promise and Impact
Veritree is committed not only to the restoration of forests but also to the humanitarian impact of such development. It aims to restore communities and help developing countries through restoration, technology and job opportunities.
Woman-Led Projects
Veritree has provided women in Haiti with tools and projects to empower themselves, gain financial stability and restore the ecosystem. Along with Mother Tree, Veritree sought to reverse the trend and give women opportunities to farm, grow and create their own businesses.
Fanme Limye is one of the woman-led associations to emerge from Veritree’s project in Haiti. The association employs more than 194 artisans, 72% of whom are women. Their mission is to provide women with training and employment, offering financial stability and skills to enter the economic world. They seek to promote women’s rights, raise awareness and advocate for women.
Businesses Growing
Through Veritree’s initiative and easy-to-track technology, businesses are seeing real impact not only on their contributions but also on their operations. Oak Bay Beach Hotel stated that it has seen increased interest in its sustainability programs that can be verified with Veritree. Hopper donates trees on behalf of its customers. Hopper promotes tree planting to customers, while a BCBusiness profile reports that Veritree’s partnerships helped fuel 6,000% revenue growth since 2021. Sutton Place Hotels sought to become more sustainable while saving on labor costs. They invested in Veritree and advertised a cost-saving initiative to customers, committing to plant 10 trees for every night customers opt out of overnight housekeeping. This proved to be an effective way to engage with customers, saving $36,000 in annual costs.
Projects
Agroforestry projects in Haiti, Senegal, Rwanda and Tanzania are creating an integrated system of trees, woody plants and livestock on the same land to create healthier soil and effective biodiversity, promoting land productivity.
Terrestrial projects in Kenya, Brazil, the U.S. and Australia work to restore and expand forestry on depleted lands to reduce carbon emissions, regulate water resources and create a biodiverse ecosystem.
Mangrove restoration projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Brazil are replanting mangrove trees in coastal areas to prevent erosion, enhance biodiversity and sequester carbon emissions.
Kelp sea-forestation projects in Canada are committed to regenerating sea forests to restore ocean health, improve water quality and protect marine habitats.
These are a few of the projects that Veritree led to save the planet and restore nature. These ongoing efforts not only restore the planet’s natural resources but also provide jobs, equality and financial stability to developing countries. Veritree states its restoration projects help generate employment and support women in communities including Haiti and East Africa. The company reports having planted and verified more than 100 million trees worldwide.
– Shannon Waters
Photo: Flickr
The Modernization of India’s Railways Can Support Poverty Reduction
India’s railways transport millions of passengers daily, connecting cities and communities across the country. However, connectivity between major cities and tier-2 and tier-3 cities has been historically uneven. Since the turn of the century, increased government investment has accelerated railway modernization, including faster trains, upgraded stations and new safety technologies. Services such as Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat, alongside the Amrit Bharat Station scheme, are reshaping passenger rail connectivity across the country. This article examines how these investments can expand economic opportunities and potentially contribute to poverty reduction.
Why Does Railway Connectivity Matter?
Smaller cities, rural communities and remote regions often have weaker connections to jobs, education and health care. Poor connectivity can limit businesses’ access to larger markets and make it harder for workers to pursue opportunities outside their immediate areas. Better connectivity can also encourage tourism and increase spending in less-developed regions. The Borgen Project spoke with Lakshya Bafna, an international business student with a scholarship from Macquarie University. He said, “From an economic-development perspective, improved railway connectivity reduces generalized transportation costs—not just the ticket price, but also travel time, reliability and the cost of accessing economic opportunities.”
Vande Bharat: Faster Connectivity and Economic Opportunity
The first Vande Bharat service was launched in 2019 between New Delhi and Varanasi. Since then, the service has expanded across India. While its fares may make it inaccessible to some lower-income households, its economic effects can extend beyond direct passengers. Faster connections can help workers reach economic centers, facilitate business activity and increase access to tourism destinations. These effects may contribute to the growth of smaller cities along its routes. Bafna explained that “positive externalities and indirect economic benefits” are important, noting that Vande Bharat can contribute to “positive effects on labor market forces, increased productivity and business activity, increased tourism, infrastructure spillovers, and improved railway network effects.”
Amrit Bharat: Expanding Affordable Connectivity
Amrit Bharat is a non-air-conditioned long-distance train service operated by Indian Railways, designed to provide affordable travel for low- and middle-income passengers. By reducing the cost of long-distance rail travel, it can make employment and economic opportunities more accessible to lower-income households. While Vande Bharat demonstrates how faster connectivity can create economic spillovers, Amrit Bharat illustrates how affordability can make those opportunities accessible to a wider population. Bafna said, “This is arguably a more direct poverty-reduction mechanism because affordability determines whether lower-income households can actually participate in the transport network. Affordable rail services can reduce the cost of accessing employment.” He continued, “For example, suppose someone lives in a smaller town but works in a larger city. If affordable rail makes daily or weekly commuting economically viable, the worker gains access to a much larger labor market.”
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme: Modernizing India’s Railway Gateways
The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is a railway station redevelopment program aimed at modernizing facilities across India. Announced in 2022, the scheme targets more than 1,300 stations for redevelopment. Upgrades include improved passenger facilities, accessibility infrastructure and wider platforms designed to accommodate growing passenger numbers. By making stations more accessible and functional, the scheme can improve people’s ability to use rail services and connect with employment, education, health care and markets. Better stations can therefore complement improved train services by making the wider railway network more accessible to communities.
How Can Railway Modernization Support Poverty Reduction?
Better rail connectivity can expand the geographical area in which people can seek employment. Railway construction, maintenance and associated activities can also generate jobs. Improved mobility can give workers and businesses greater access to markets and suppliers, while lower transportation costs can make economic activity more efficient.
Railway modernization can also support local economic activity around stations. Bafna said, “A railway station can function as an economic node, not merely a place where passengers board trains.” He explained that modernization can create opportunities in construction, maintenance, retail and services, while potentially increasing demand for hospitality, taxis and logistics. Better stations could also make surrounding areas more attractive to businesses and investors, creating additional opportunities for employment and economic activity.
Kavach: Strengthening Railway Safety
Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system that the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) developed to improve railway safety. The system provides automated train protection and collision-prevention capabilities, including protection against Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), overspeeding, rollback and certain side, head-on and rear-end collisions. Kavach can also automatically apply brakes in specified situations, including when a train exceeds its permitted speed or when the system detects two trains moving toward each other on the same track section.
By adding another layer of protection to train operations, the system can support safer and more reliable rail services. Reliable rail services matter to passengers and businesses that depend on trains for mobility and the movement of goods. However, Kavach should not be presented as a direct poverty-reduction measure. Instead, safer, more reliable railway operations may limit disruptions to the movement of people and goods, complementing broader railway investments in connectivity and affordability.
Who Benefits From Railway Modernization?
The modernization of India’s railways requires significant public investment and can create employment through construction and infrastructure projects. Upgraded stations, including wider platforms, escalators and lifts, can also make rail services more accessible to passengers such as students, migrant workers, vendors and transport operators. However, connecting a poorer region with a wealthier one does not automatically make its residents richer. The benefits depend on affordability, accessibility, employment opportunities and local economic capacity. Bafna said the economic impact of railway modernization should be evaluated “not only by passenger numbers or travel-time savings,” but also by its effects on productivity, labor mobility, market access, employment, regional development and the distribution of benefits across income groups.
Conclusion
The modernization of India’s railways does not directly reduce poverty, but it can support the economic conditions that help communities escape it. Better rail connectivity can reduce transportation and logistics costs, expand access to employment and markets and create opportunities for businesses, tourists, students and migrant workers. If lower-income communities can access these opportunities, railway modernization may contribute to higher incomes and long-term poverty reduction. Ultimately, rail infrastructure is not a cure for poverty, but a tool connecting communities to economic opportunities.
– Dhruv Bandhu
Photo: Pexels