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5 Myths About Developing Countries

Myths About Developing CountriesIt’s easy to make assumptions about a “developing” country from the comfort and privilege of a “developed” one. It’s hard to truly understand what it might actually be like to live in a country without everything a developed country is used to. Treading the murky waters of stereotypes, assumptions and clichés, here are some common misconceptions and myths about developing countries:

  1. Africa is a country/is the entire developing world
    Africa is a continent with many countries of different backgrounds and diverse cultures. However, Africa is often the subject of sweeping generalizations and assumptions; for example, every person in Africa is poor and living in a rural area. This disregards the 54 nations in Africa with different histories, cultures and traditions, as well as countries on every other continent that might struggle with poverty.
  2. Developed nations spend a lot of their budgets on foreign aid
    The Borgen Project works specifically to debunk this particular misconception, as the United States spends less than 1% of its federal budget on foreign aid. Norway, the most generous nation, spends 3%. Everyone can do better.
  3. Developing countries are technologically backward
    Not only is this untrue, it disregards all of the middle-class working citizens who have found success in developing countries. The rise of technology use includes the rise of accessibility. Nigeria, for example, is one of many African countries that has embraced new technology and encouraged its spread with a Smart Cities Initiative.
  4. Developing countries are corrupt
    The cause-effect relationship in this misconception is backwards. In terms of myths about developing countries, this one disregards all the corruption present in developed countries. It assumes that corrupt policies and practices are inherently rampant in developing countries, continuing to limit them. However, corruption happens everywhere; it is simply highlighted in developing nations. Furthermore, foreign aid makes developing countries less vulnerable to corruption, not more corrupt.
  5. People are poor because they have too many kids they can’t afford
    “Too many” is a matter of opinion, and the opinion in developed countries is not inherently superior. Because of poverty, families do not have access to sex education or contraception, meaning the decision to have more kids is not really a decision.

These are just a few of the common misconceptions surrounding the developing world. However, all of them are due to be changed.

– Ellen Ray

Photo: Flickr

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Poverty in Libya War

Poverty in Libya

Poverty in Libya is notoriously hard to define. An estimate based on surveys of sub-groups puts about one-third of Libya’s population below the poverty line. However, no specific figure exists.

Libya’s economy is directly dependent on its political stability, as most countries are. The country struggled with a civil war starting in 2014 which impacted Libya’s economy greatly, due to its dependence on oil and gas exports. Armed conflict between rival forces over control of the largest oil terminals in 2015 caused a decline in crude oil production which has yet to recover. In fact, production today is only at one-third of what it was before this political conflict.

While the government of Libya is officially “in transition,” its leaders historically have not used its financial resources to develop the national infrastructure. As a result, poverty in Libya persists in the form of widespread power outages, limited access to clean drinking water, medical services and safe housing, as well as decreased security due to political instability.

An added threat is the presence of extremists associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), who attack Libyan oilfields, further detracting from future government revenue.

The GDP in Libya is estimated to have declined by 10 percent along with a per capita income of less than $4,500. Inflation runs rampant due to high food prices and the tendency of some citizens to stockpile food.

In order to combat poverty in Libya, organizations like the World Bank have committed to supporting Libya’s economic recovery. As of spring 2016, support includes technical assistance, analytical services and trust fund/grant financing.

The World Bank has created threemedium-termm objectives for promoting economic growth in Libya: increasing accountability and transparency, improving the delivery of services and creating jobs. Hopefully these will be accomplished in the near future by partnering with donor agencies and people from different parts of Libya to make sure the plan for recovery is Libyan-owned.

– Ellen Ray

Photo: Flickr

Why Namibia Is Poor

Why Namibia Is PoorNamibia is a country located in the southwestern part of Africa, just north of South Africa, and has one of the largest income gaps between the rich and the poor in the world.

There are a few reasons why Namibia is poor. Many of the causes stem from the social and economic imbalances of the apartheid system that was introduced in 1964 under South African rule. This resulted in a deep divide in Namibian society. Much of the black African population was denied proper access to basic productive resources and infrastructure, while white settlers had exclusive access to vast areas of land as well as a tremendous amount of support from the government for their farming.

Some of the poorest people are located in the northern regions of Namibia. The majority of its indigenous population is located in the north, and many of the poorest households are those headed by women. This amounts to around 43 percent of all the households located in rural areas, which are the most likely to be dependent on farming.

These families’ dependency on farming is problematic due to a veterinary cordon fence that runs east to west across the country south of the Angola border, used to block the southern movement of livestock diseases. However, this fence also divides the poorer north, where their primary source of income comes from farming, from the richer south with its commercial ranchers.

Severely poor people in Namibia are those who are not able to spend at least N$389.30 per month on necessities to live, according to the Namibia Household Income and Expenditure. If they cannot spend more than N$520.80 per month, they are just considered poor. The average life expectancy in the country is just 62 years, and is even lower in marginalized communities.

The government of the country has been committed to solving the problems of Namibia’s poverty and large income gap. They have adopted quite a few policies since their independence and have noticed how poverty has endangered the social harmony of their country. A few plans for addressing these issues include Vision 2030 as well as other national development plans.

Hopefully, in the coming years, the people of Namibia will continue to make strides in combating the reasons why Namibia is poor and will be able to close the income gap.

– Sara Venusti

Photo: Unsplash

Debating Disparity: Panama Poverty Rate Declining

Panama Poverty Rate

Panama is a country of sharp contrasts. Despite recent economic growth that has benefitted some, many Panamanians still suffer from poor living conditions as the Panama poverty rate remains high, especially in rural areas.

According to the World Bank, 18.7 percent of Panamanians live in poverty. However, it is important to note the decrease in poverty that has taken place over recent years. Between 2008 and 2014, poverty was reduced from 26.2 percent to 18.7 percent and extreme poverty was reduced from 14.5 percent to 10.2 percent.

Much of this poverty is manifested in rural areas where the benefits of Panama’s dramatic economic growth have failed to reach. Those that live in rural areas of Panama often suffer from a greater rate of poverty. Extreme poverty in rural areas reaches 27 percent, in sharp contrast to urban areas where only four percent live in extreme poverty.

Poverty is even worse in indigenous areas—known as “comarcas”—where 70 percent of Panamanians live in poverty. In these areas, many lack access to clean water and sanitation, contributing to a poor quality of life outside of the bustling urban centers.

The economic growth that has benefited Panama recently is newsworthy. Compared to other countries in Central America, Panama’s GDP has grown twice as fast. This is due, at least in part, to the expansion of the Panama Canal, a thriving banking industry and an outflow of cash from Venezuela. As Panama’s economy grows, however, so does its income inequality.

This economic growth has not created better living conditions for all and has only exacerbated the disparity between the wealthy and the poor of Panama. According to a CIA analysis, Panama has the second-worst income distribution among Latin American countries, despite its reputation as one of the world’s fastest growing economies.

Perhaps the key to continuing to lower the Panama poverty rate is addressing the inequality in income distribution. While Panama’s economy is expected to continue growing in the future—the forecast in 2017 is 5.4 percent—it is important to determine how this growth can be used to benefit those that still live below the poverty line.

– Jennifer Faulkner

Facts About the Yemen Poverty Rate

Yemen Poverty RateYemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab Region and is home to ongoing civil conflict – which turned to Civil War in 2015. Of Yemen’s 26.8 million people, half of the population lives in areas directly affected by conflict. Basic services like healthcare and education are on the verge of collapse.

This unrest has taken a toll on the Yemen poverty rate. Before 2015, nearly half of Yemenis lived below the poverty line. As of 2017, the World Bank estimates that number has increased to 62 percent. Nearly 60 percent of Yemenis are food insecure. Since 2015, malnutrition has increased by 57 percent. About 14.4 million Yemenis do not have access to safe drinking water or sanitation.

As of early 2017, seven million people in Yemen were on the brink of famine. About 90 percent of Yemen’s food is imported, but it is difficult to get food into the country because there are few commercial importers willing to face the financial difficulties of doing so. The food crisis and increased Yemen poverty rate are partially driven by rising food prices and reduction in purchasing power.

Cholera is on the rise in Yemen. Cholera is a bacterial infection spread by water contaminated by feces – for most of the world, a disease that ended with modern sanitation. Today, it is still easily treatable with rehydration solutions and antibiotics. However, the government stopped paying civil servants in 2016, and sanitation strikes led to septic backups and garbage pileups that allowed the disease to spread in Yemen. The governmental healthcare system disbanded. Now, cholera has spread to 21 out of 22 of Yemen’s provinces. As of July 2017, the disease has infected at least 269,608 people and killed at least 1,614.

In January 2017, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced the death toll in the Yemen conflict had surpassed 10,000. The OCHA’s Jamie McGoldrick released another statement saying that up to 10 million people need “urgent assistance to protect their safety, dignity, and basic rights.”

With continuing violence and infrastructure breaking down, prospects for the Yemen poverty rate are grim. More than 70 humanitarian organizations have been working to help but are facing challenges due to lack of accessibility and poor infrastructure within the country. Lack of funds is also an issue; the U.N. appealed for $2.1 billion to assist people in Yemen, but only 7 percent of that appeal was met. For those who want to donate to humanitarian efforts, organizations like UNICEF, UNHCR, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and Save the Children are also doing essential work for the people of Yemen.

– Hannah Seitz

Photo: Flickr

Poverty Rate in Bhutan Declines Due to Government Initiatives

Poverty Rate in BhutanBhutan is a small landlocked country in the Himalaya region of Asia. The country’s remoteness has largely affected its people by preventing economic progress until the 1960s. Until then, the country did not have a currency of its own, telephones, schools, hospitals or postal services, keeping the country completely secluded from the world around them. In 1961, the country’s king decided that the country needed to join the modern world, improving the poverty rate in Bhutan greatly.

In recent years, Bhutan has significantly lowered the number of citizens living below the poverty line. Between 2007 and 2012, the country was able to reduce the number of those living in poverty from 23 percent of the population to 12 percent. While most of the poverty reduction has been in rural areas of the country, these same families are the ones most at risk for slipping backwards.

The commercialization of agriculture as well as the creation of roads and hydropower projects allowed for more economic stability for those who made their living in the farming industry. While this has created great prosperity for rural areas in Bhutan, the agricultural industry is still the most vulnerable within the country, susceptible to environmental catastrophes.

While the poverty rate continues to decrease and the country’s GNI per capita increases yearly, the Bhutanese government refuses to stop there. The government has recently made a commitment to reduce multidimensional poverty to five percent by the end of 2018. One of the biggest initiatives under this new plan is to give land to 245 households that previously had unusable or no land.

While a good portion of the country’s people still live in poverty, Bhutan has seen incredible progress in the past 10 years. The poverty rate in Bhutan has seen a dramatic decrease and the government continues to implement programs in hopes of providing more opportunities for the people.

– Olivia Hayes

Photo: Flickr

Causes of Poverty in Jordan

Causes of Poverty in Jordan

According to the World Bank, around 13 percent of the population in Jordan live in poverty. This means 13 percent of the population spend less than $2.60 U.S. a day. However, nearly a third of the population in Jordan live in what is known as transient poverty, which means that they live in poverty for a quarter of the year. Considering that even the types of poverty in Jordan are varied, the causes must also be complex and varied, depending on the household and the area of residence. Outlined below are just a few of the causes of poverty in Jordan.

Top Causes of Poverty in Jordan

  1. Education
    While Jordan has begun improving public education tremendously at the secondary level in past years, it still lags behind the prestige and high-priced private school system. Those in the higher-middle and upper classes are able to afford good education, while the middle and lower classes are not able to pay for such schooling. The result is an education gap between the middle and upper classes. Furthermore, while some families might be well off during the time of year that their children do not attend school, often times they slip into poverty in order to afford tuition once school begins again.
  2. Wage Gap
    Another one of the causes of poverty in Jordan is the stagnant income. Many middle class families struggle with the difference between their salary and cost of living. While salaries have largely remained the same in recent years, cost of living is steadily rising – particularly in larger cities like Amman. This, along with the above factor of education, have forced some members of the middle class into what would be considered poverty. Another result of stagnant wages has been a decrease in spending of not only the lower class, but the middle class as well. In fact, 51 percent of Jordanian families spend as though they were living in poverty.
  3. Ramadan
    Strangely – or perhaps not – the season of Ramadan weighs considerably on Jordanian residents’ pocketbooks. During the month of Ramadan this year, Jordanian citizens collectively spent about $493 million U.S. on food alone. Considering the substantial increase in spending, some middle class citizens dip into poverty after the month of festivities associated with Ramadan.

The stagnation of income and shortcomings of the public education system reveal only some of the causes of poverty in Jordan. In order to combat a majority of these issues, creating jobs with reasonable salaries seems to be a solution offered by experts. In turn, King Abdullah II has introduced Jordan Vision 2025. Jordan Vision 2025 is a blueprint for social and economic development. The King hopes that the project will bring jobs along with it, which would likely help bring people out of poverty.

– Sydney Roeder

Photo: Pixabay

The Kazakhstan Poverty Rate and Its Steady Decline

Kazakhstan_Poverty_RateAs the recent host of Expo 2017, Kazakhstan continues to show positive potential for economic development, a concept once thought to be as foreign as independence. Despite its relatively new presence in the global market, the Kazakhstan poverty rate has consistently been improving.

Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country of around 17 million people, is familiar with economic strife. In 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan gained independence from the communist regime. However, independence came with the cost of creating a new system of government, a new economic foundation, and a post-Soviet culture. As a result, the Kazakhstan poverty rate became a severe problem during the transition.

After the Soviet Union’s loss of control over the land, those who had once worked for the Soviets were now without employment. Many others saw opportunities for employment due to the country’s need for leadership and government work, like social services. It was those in agrarian communities that suffered the most during this transition, because they did not have access to the benefits and employment opportunities in the more urbanized regions. The Kazakhstan poverty rate was unstable as the country began establishing its own presence in the international community.

Fortunately for the Kazakhstanis, the tensions of the post-Soviet period did not last. Since the early 1990s, Kazakhstan has been and is continuing to experience notable economic growth, with much of the success being credited to the mineral and oil-rich areas of the country. In the last few decades, the majority of years have seen increased economic activity and consistent rises in the national GDP (gross domestic product). According to some analysts, the poverty rate was cut in half during the late 1990s and early 2000s and the national GDP saw upwards of 500 percent growth.

However, it is equally important to note that while economically the country is experiencing numerically positive transformations as a whole, the rich-poor gap is a real problem, leading to millions of Kazakhstanis still making less than half of those in the capital city, Astana. In 1996, the World Bank estimated a third of Kazakhstanis to have lived on less than the subsistence minimum, or a working minimum wage.

As of 2017, the World Bank is projecting an accelerated economic growth pattern in light of higher oil prices and an increase in production. It is expected that the country will see about a 3 percent growth per year in the over the next three years as the oil industry continues to recover from recent recessions. Now, the Asian Development Bank estimates that only 2.7 percent of Kazakhstanis are living below the national poverty line, one of the lowest rates in Central and West Asia.

Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev and other Kazakh leadership are aware of the current state of poverty and its loosening grasp on Kazakhstan. Since breaking from the Soviets, President Nazarbayev’s concentration has been on stabilizing the country’s economy and composing it in a way that allows future growth to come naturally. Legislation has aided Nazarbayev’s vision by cutting taxes and relaxing trade restrictions to spark international interests.

According to a recent U.N. Development Programme report, unemployment and low income remain the primary causes of poverty in Kazakhstan. The World Bank has reported in the last year that one of the least utilized, but most promising, economic activity generators lies where the most impoverished lie, too – the agricultural industry. It is estimated that about 15 percent of Kazakhstan remains unused arable land. The benefits of engaging this natural resource would directly address the issues of unemployment and would also aid in diversifying the country’s economy. Even though the Siberian climate remains unpredictable and potentially harsh, the agricultural industry still outpaces the rest of the economy.

Other industries, such as tourism, are currently being fostered. Astana and other oil-rich cities are attracting intense focus for urban development. In addition to recently hosting Expo 2017 in September, the cities’ development has been primarily about turning the sparsely populated country into a hotspot for tourists in that area of the world. For example, the Khan Shatyr shopping center was built with an enclosed beach on the property, so users can enjoy the amenity even during the infamous Siberian winter months.

With a perspective considering both the past Soviet control and the hope for a future of market-savvy presence, Kazakhstan is taking steps towards eradicating poverty within its borders. Since gaining independence, the country’s leadership has consistently made strides toward utilizing its available resources as a means to make progress for all Kazakhstanis. As the oil industry continues to grow, and as Kazakhstan earns its place on the map of energy producers, it is likely that poverty’s grasp will continue to loosen.

– Taylor Elkins

Photo: Google

Causes of Poverty in Niger

Causes of Poverty in NigerNiger, an African country located on the edge of the Sahara, is known as one of the poorest countries in the world. With a growing population of 16.6 million people, over 45 percent of citizens live under the international poverty line. Some causes of poverty in Niger are the high birth rate, the major and minor droughts that effect agricultural and economic growth, and the outward effects of the conflict involving the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

 

Main Causes of Poverty in Niger

 

High Birth Rate
Niger has a literacy rate of only 19.1 percent and 42.2 percent of children under five suffer from malnutrition. With the highest birth rate in the world – about 7.4 births per woman – the growing population makes it difficult to feed and educate families.

While there are family planning programs implemented throughout Niger, only 11 percent of married women take advantage of contraceptives and family planning methods. This is mainly due to the lack of education surrounding contraceptives, as well as fear of how they will affect the body. However, many organizations are working hard to break these myths about contraceptives and teach men and women the beneficial effect that family planning can have on breaking poverty in Niger.

Droughts
Niger’s economy is based mostly in agriculture, which makes up for 36.5 percent of its GDP. When external shocks due to climate occur, it leads to both food and job shortages. For example, Niger has been struck by three major droughts within the last two decades, all causing major food shortages, an increase in food prices and fewer available jobs. The last major drought from 2010 still has Niger recovering from its effects.

Organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) are implementing measures to help combat the underlying causes of poverty in Niger. Through WFP, communities are learning about environmental rehabilitation programs, agricultural recovery programs and emergency preparedness programs, so that they can better understand how to alleviate poverty.

Boko Haram
In 2015, about 750 troops were deployed to Nigeria to help fight off the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. During this time, over 115,000 people were displaced and sought refuge within Niger, causing a greater imbalance within the already flawed economy.

Over the last two years, Niger has been involved in fighting Boko Haram; their involvement – notably their violent and controlling ways – has disrupted economic development within the country as well as created fears of food shortages.

While the outlook seems grim for Niger, the new president of Nigeria has been implementing new solutions to help ward off Boko Haram. Through the creation of the Multinational Joint Task Force to strengthen the region, as well as a loan from World Bank, there is some hope to restore economic stability in the area.

The causes of poverty in Niger range from social, economic and political issues regarding population growth, unstable weather and social conflict. While all of this creates an economically unstable country and negatively affects its people, there is help from surrounding countries and organizations to help put Niger back on its feet.

– Rebekah Covey

Photo: Google

Causes of Poverty in Guinea-Bissau

Causes of Poverty in Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau is a small country located south of Senegal. Guinea-Bissau has had tough economic times ever since its independence in 1973. As of 2010, the rate of poverty was 70 percent. Causes of poverty in Guinea-Bissau include political and economic instability.

Political instability is the root of most evils in Guinea-Bissau. There is unrest because there is lack of successful governance. No prime minister has lasted more than a few consecutive months, which shows the uncommitted approach that that has led to a country unable to develop out of dreary conditions. Guinea-Bissau has experienced two coups and a civil war, both of which have affected the political atmosphere in extreme ways. The political atmosphere, in turn, affects the economy. Citizens are not given adequate services or wages, and there is very little regulation of the economy and agricultural practices. In this way, the main causes of poverty in Guinea-Bissau stem from political instability. When a country does not have a functioning government, its economy cannot function either.

Most of the country’s agricultural sector is focused on the production and exportation of cashew nuts. The cashew nut industry provides 85 percent of all jobs, so when this production slows so do a number of jobs available. The number of exports has declined because of competing countries that export the same commodity and the overall underdevelopment of the industry. Production could triple with the implementation of new infrastructure and technology and still be behind international competitors.

The lack of exportation in the cashew nut industry causes economic difficulties on many scales. On a small scale, families are not given as many work opportunities, making it difficult to generate enough funds to live. On a larger scale, funds from the exportation of commodities, such as cashew nuts, are lacking. Unable to generate sustainable revenue, Guinea-Bissau’s economy is underdeveloped.

The main causes of poverty in Guinea-Bissau are most closely associated with political unrest and an insufficient economy. Guinea-Bissau is unable to be economically successful, relying mainly on foreign aid. Agricultural practices can be improved with the implementation of modern infrastructure that speeds up the process and develops the industry. It is important for the U.N. and international financial institutions to coordinate in the absence of a functioning government in order for Guinea-Bissau to further develop.

– Lucy Voegeli

Photo: Flickr