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Seven Facts About Poverty in Poland

Poverty in Poland Facts
Poland is not a poor country by any means, but the region has historically possessed little wealth due to occupation, wartime and political mistreatment. As such, alleviation of poverty in Poland has been a focal point of recent Polish governments. Discussed below are the leading facts about poverty in Poland, and how the issue is addressed at the national and international level.

 

7 Key Facts About Poverty in Poland

 

  1. Poverty in Poland has been steadily decreasing since 2004. Over the past decade, the country has cut the population of people living on less than $5 a day in half, from 20 percent to 10.
  2. Poland’s government spends heavily on social resources, with a quarter of the nation’s GDP spent on pensions, public health care, public education and other social services.
  3. Compared to other parts of the world, poverty in Poland is shallow. There are very few people living in dangerously extreme poverty or hunger. Less than a tenth of the population live on $2 a day or less.
  4. Income inequality in Poland is also relatively low. In a World Bank ranking of income inequality, Poland scored significantly better than the United States and Russia with stratification levels near the U.K. and France.
  5. While they are rarely in extreme poverty, many young people in Poland live on very little due to a lack of employment. Overall unemployment in Poland is at 14 percent, but is 25 percent for those who primarily seek industrial jobs.
  6. Poland’s heavily industrial economy is something of a double-edged sword. GDP growth was mildly hindered by the 2008-9 global economic downturn when compared with other European nations. This growth, however, has proven slow with an average of a one percent annual increase.
  7. Poland seeks to both decrease rural poverty and increase its economic productivity by improving the agricultural sector. The EU has been a major benefactor in this cause, revamping the nation’s agricultural policy in 2004 and annually contributing large sums of money. In 2014, Polish farmers received three billion euros in direct payments from EU funding.

These facts about poverty in Poland only begin to scratch the surface of such a complex region. This eastern European nation exudes fiscal prosperity amidst underlying unemployment and rural poverty, a conundrum that needs to be solved.

– John English

Photo: Flickr

Top 5 Facts About Poverty in Haiti

poverty in haiti poor
In 2010, Haiti was struck by what has been called the strongest earthquake since 1770. The 7.0 mW quake with aftershocks ranging from 4.2 to 5.9 affected at least three million people and increased poverty in Haiti. But in the last three years, the world at large has turned away from the struggle of the Haitian people to focus on newer problems. The fact remains, though, that aid is still needed. Below are leading facts you should know about poverty in Haiti.

 

Top 5 Facts About Poverty in Haiti

 

  1. Even before the earthquake hit, 1.9 million people were in need of food assistance. Around 60 percent of the population lives on less than $1.00 a day. As a result, malnutrition and anemia run rampant. Haiti is the third hungriest country in the world.
  2. Only 50 percent of the people have access to an improved water source, such as a hand pump or a well. This means that most of the population depends on lakes, streams and rivers for their water, regardless of the cleanliness. Even if some people can get to better water than others, a total of 80 percent do not have adequate sanitation available. So even if they run less risk of becoming ill from bad water, they are unable to clean themselves and are susceptible to disease and infection.
  3. Only fifty percent of children living in Haiti are able to go to school. Furthermore, only 30 percent of those progress to the fifth grade. As a result, half of Haitians are illiterate. Without a proper education, the people are unable to break free of the cycle of poverty.
  4. Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas, with 59 percent of the population living below the national poverty line. The World Bank estimates that the earthquake caused about $7.8 billion in damage.
  5. There is a large population of orphaned children in Haiti, many of whom are living on the streets. There were an estimated 380,000 prior to the earthquake and untold thousands added to that number after it. There are also about 250,000 restaveks, or children working as servants and often treated as slaves.

It is easy to put the continued suffering of Haiti out of one’s mind when other world disasters have since risen to the forefront, but that does not mean that Haiti stopped warranting the world’s attention. The earthquake may have happened almost four years ago, but the people there are still greatly in need of assistance and guidance.

– Chelsea Evans

Sources: Fox News, P81 Haiti Relief, Fox Business

Photo: Flickr

Why the Cycle? 10 Facts on Global Poverty

Facts on global poverty
As the World Food Programme says, “The poor are hungry and their hunger traps them in poverty.” The number of people living in the world in extreme poverty does continue to decrease, but the number is still incredibly high.

Poverty creates a cycle, where the poorest people are unable to access quality education or health services, and these people continue to be affected by malnutrition and disease. However, there has been a significant reduction in the state of poverty throughout the last decades. Here are ten facts on global poverty:

  1. Approximately 1 billion children or half of the child population across the globe, lives in poverty. Of these children, 10.6 million die before the age of five. This is akin to between 22,000 and 29,000 children dying every day, according to UNICEF.
  2. Around two million children die each year from preventable diseases, as they are too poor to afford treatment. There are 270 million children in the world who do not have access to health services.
  3. In 2012, over 12 percent of the world lived on or below $1.90 per day. That estimate has improved tremendously from 37 percent in 1990.
  4. The most intense reduction in global poverty occurred in East Asia, where 80 percent lived in extreme poverty in 1981. Now a little over seven percent live in poverty.
  5. Within East Asia, China has shown the greatest reduction in poverty with 753 million people becoming above the $1.90 per day line.
  6. Approximately 30 percent of those living in extreme global poverty are concentrated in India. South Asia is now experiencing the lowest amount of extreme poverty since 1981, now standing at 18.7 percent from 58 percent.
  7. Overall, almost 80 percent of those living in extreme poverty are citizens of South Asian and Sub-Saharan African nations. This is almost 700 million people, with an additional 147 million in East Asia and the Pacific.
  8. A quarter of the world’s population lives without electricity, which is 1.6 billion people. Around 400 million also have no access to drinkable war, and 640 million are without proper housing or shelter.
  9. Unsafe drinking water kills more than 840,000 people each year, particularly those living in extreme poverty.
  10. According to Oxfam, $60 billion annually would be able to resolve global poverty. This is less than a quarter of the income of the top 100 billionaires.

Numbers are hardly a way to sum up the real-time suffering that people who live in poverty face everyday, but the facts on global poverty do create a framework of awareness, seriousness, and hope around a situation that isn’t quantifiable.

– Amanda Panella

Photo: Pixabay

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5 Facts about Poverty in Rwanda

Poverty in Rwanda Facts
Over the past two decades, Rwanda has faced an uphill battle on the road to development post-genocide. Despite troubling circumstances and more than its share of challenges, the country is quickly becoming a global development and poverty reduction success story. Below are five facts about poverty in Rwanda.

Rwanda Poverty Facts

  1.  According to the World Bank’s most recent estimates, 44.9 percent of Rwanda’s population currently lives below the poverty line. Down from 56.7 percent in 2005, more than one million people have been lifted out of poverty in just five years thanks to the government’s commitment to eradicating poverty in Rwanda and becoming a middle-income country.
  2. In the past decade, mortality rates for children under five years old have been more than halved. Down from 182 deaths per 1,000 children in 2000 to 55 per 1,000 in 2012.
  3. As a key marker of successful poverty reduction efforts, life expectancy in Rwanda has improved dramatically. As of 1993, the average life expectancy was just 27 years. By 2014 that number had more than doubled to 64 years. Better living conditions and improved health care are largely to thank for these impressive improvements.
  4. After experiencing a dip in annual GDP growth rates after the Great Recession, the Rwandan economy has quickly rebounded. The country is projected to enjoy growth rates of more than six percent for the next several years. As this growth begins to be picked up by even the lowest income sectors of the country, poverty in Rwanda is expected to be dramatically reduced in the coming years.
  5. The Rwandan government has made achieving middle-income status a top priority by introducing Vision 2020, an initiative that aims to move the country away from its primarily agricultural-based economy to a more progressive, diversified economy with the ability to drastically reduce poverty in Rwanda. With 75 percent of the 650,000 new workers added to the work force between 2005 and 2010, the country is well on its way to achieving its goal.

As shown through these facts about poverty in Rwanda, the country still has a long way to go on the road to development, yet over the past decade, its progress has been unprecedentedly successful. With continued support and development assistance poverty in Rwanda may one day be a distant memory.

– Sara Christensen

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts on Syrian Refugees

Syrian refugees facts
The Syrian refugee facts are startling. In the past few decades, there has been an enormous influx of migrants and refugees into the Mediterranean countries and other Western European countries due to numerous conflicts. Recently, the plight of Syrian refugees has captured the world’s attention.

The Syrian conflict began in March of 2011, when pro-democracy protests broke out in the streets. These protests were against the regime of the Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad.

When supporters of the President and rebel groups began fighting each other, the protest evolved into a full-out civil war. By August of 2015, an estimated 250,000 people had died due to the violence.

 

Top Syrian Refugee Facts:

 

  1. The conflict has displaced nearly 12 million Syrians from their homes and families.
  2. More than 75 percent of Syrian refugees are women and children.
  3. Syrian citizens represented 49 percent of the individuals entering countries via the Mediterranean Sea.
  4. According to the UNHCR, there are already 3,151 dead or missing refugees in 2016 alone.
  5. Most refugees stay in the Middle Eastern region, escaping to countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.
  6. Since 2011, the conflict displaces an average of 50 Syrian families every hour.
  7. Three out of four Syrians live in poverty.
  8. As of January 31, 2016, nearly 10,000 refugee children have gone missing in Europe. Human trafficking circles are likely culprits.
  9. The crisis in Syria has reversed 10 years of progress in education for Syrian children, according to the U.N children’s agency.
  10. In 2015, the European Union granted 292,540 refugees asylum, with Germany, Sweden, and Italy granting the most.

Many Syrian refugees suffer from the low quality of life and lack of resources in refugee camps. However, many countries and international groups around the world have worked hard to ameliorate the living conditions for these individuals.

Organizations such as the Karam Foundation and Project Amal ou Salaam focus on raising funds and providing programs or educational resources for children. Other groups, like Sunrise USA and Islamic Relief USA, work on getting necessities like food, clothing, trauma-care facilities and more.

As of May 31, 2015, the United States had given more than $3 billion in aid to Syria.

The Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act of 2015 (S.756) has passed the Senate and is under consideration in the House. This bill would call on the President to support efforts in Syria and force the Department of State to make Congress aware of various war crimes.

Efforts like this have increased awareness and accountability of the Syrian conflict. These actions ensure a quicker end to the violence and a hasty return home for Syrian refugees all over the world.

– Ashley Morefield

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Poverty In Malawi

Malawi is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa bordered by Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia. The country also borders Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa. Lake Malawi accounts for more than one-fifth of the country’s total area, making it a significant geographical feature. Poverty in Malawi has been at critical levels for decades. Of the approximately 21.8 million people in the country, about 50.7% lived below the national poverty line in 2019.

Many Malawians work in agriculture and it is hard for them to produce enough crops to maintain an income above the international poverty line. With parental death, disease and crop failure, the obstacles that many Malawians face are abounding. Below are the leading facts that thoroughly explain and illuminate the pressing issue of poverty in Malawi.

  1. In Malawi, there are more than 900,000 adults living with HIV. The infection rate is twice as high among women as it is among men. Additionally, only 88.3% of adults living with HIV know that they are HIV-positive and about 98% of them are receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART).
  2. Only 67.3% of Malawi’s population can read and write by the age of 15. This is partially attributed to a lack of access to quality education, a high number of student to teacher ratio, teacher absenteeism and a low enrolment rate.
  3. Due to poverty, poor access to health care, disease and food shortage, the average life expectancy for a Malawian is 63 years, which is 25 years more than it was in 1960, according to the World Bank. Further, The median age for Malawians is 20.3 years old.
  4. There are only 0.05 doctors for every 1,000 individuals in Malawi. As a result, millions in Malawi do not have access to standard health care services.
  5. Malawi’s economy is mainly agricultural, with 80% of the population living in rural areas. Additionally, the sector contributes 30% of the country’s national gross domestic product (GDP).
  6. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is working in harmony with Malawi’s government to promote agricultural growth in rural areas. This is an effort to reduce poverty throughout Malawi.
  7. About 30% of Malawian children do not start primary school (which is free) and only 33% of those who enroll will go on to complete it. Secondary and higher education is mostly attended by those of households above the international poverty line, predominantly due to the enrollment fees.
  8. Malawi is one of the world’s most impoverished countries, ranking 172 out of 193 countries on the Human Development Index.
  9. As of 2015, more than one million Malawi children were orphaned due to HIV/AIDS.
  10. In addition to IFAD, Access Health Africa, an international nonprofit, is providing Malawians with access to quality health services, education and resources through community initiatives. The organization has provided 160 general surgeries and reached more than 1,000 people.

The people of Malawi face great hardships; however, with the help of nonprofits like IFAD and Access Health Africa, there is hope for an increased economy, health services and better school systems. This, in turn, will decrease disease, orphaned children and overall poverty in Malawi.

– Bella Chaffey

Photo: Flickr
Updated: June 01, 2024

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The Difference Between Drought and Famine

https://borgenproject.org/the-difference-between-drought-and-famine/
The difference between drought and famine has the potential to be very confusing. Both result in an insufficient supply of food and water along with the wide and rapid spread of disease. Potentially both disasters could lead to the economic and social collapse of the community. However, the truth about both disasters is quite simple.

In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, drought is defined as a period of dryness, especially when prolonged. Likewise, famine is defined as an extreme scarcity of food. While famine can sometimes be the outcome of a drought, it is considered to be more of a manmade disaster, therefore more preventable, and results from the lack of availability of food and water. A drought is solely the result of finicky Mother Nature and almost entirely unpreventable. In both cases, if aid is not immediately offered to the affected people, starvation, rampant disease, economic and social collapse and death will take its toll.

Here are eight quick facts that define these disasters in order to keep them straight.

 

Drought

  • The most common form of drought is a lack of water vapor in the atmosphere, which causes precipitation. A lack of moisture in the air causes wildfires that can damage communities and food supplies, ruin forests, or harm people and animals.
  • Of all the water on earth, only .003 percent is available fresh water that is not polluted, trapped in soil, or too far underground. During a drought, shared sources of water such as rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater for wells are in jeopardy of running dry.
  • Since the 1970s, the percentage of Earth’s surface affected by drought has doubled. Global warming is largely blamed.
  • Meteorologists predict drought based on precipitation patterns, stream flow, and moisture of soil over long periods of time.

 

Famine

  • Famines rarely happen because of a single event and often are the result of many years of struggling to grow food in a harsh environment.
  • Famine doesn’t usually cause the deaths of whole communities. Instead, it’s often old people and the youth who suffer from disease and malnutrition as they are the most vulnerable.
  • Different factors can trigger famine – the choice of crops planted, ineffective farming techniques, political systems and civil wars.
  • Famine happens when people don’t have the ability to cope during extreme natural conditions like drought.

-Kira Maixner
Source: Do Something, Merriam Webster Online
Photo: Asia News

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Poverty in Mexico – 10 Facts You Should Know

Poverty in Mexico
Even though much of Latin America has been able to significantly reduce poverty, the country of Mexico still struggles. Below are the leading facts about poverty in Mexico. Education about the problem of poverty in Mexico is crucial and will help us remedy the situation.

Top Facts about Poverty in Mexico

  1. Around half of the population lives in poverty; about 10 percent of people live in extreme poverty.
  2. The number of people in poverty has mainly been increasing since 2006, when 42.9 percent of people were below the national poverty line.
  3. Chiapas, Guerrero and Puebla are the states with the highest levels of poverty.
  4. Mexico has a sizable GDP of about $1.283 trillion. Even so, Mexico’s GDP per capita or per person is $14,000. This means that there is a sizable wealth gap in the country between rich and poor.
  5. More than 20 million children live in poverty with more than five million living in extreme poverty, according to Fusion, the United Nations Children’s Fund.
  6. About 25 million Mexicans make less than $14 a day and a quarter of the workforce is underemployed.
  7. The average salary in rural areas is 3 to 4 times less than that of urban areas in Mexico.
  8. Economic growth is commonly believed to decrease poverty. Mexico’s annual growth rate is somewhat small, around two to three percent. Additionally, this economic growth has mainly benefitted the rich.
  9. Drug wars are thought to perpetuate poverty in Mexico.
  10. Despite all of this, Mexico has decreased extreme poverty in the country by 20 to 25 percent since 1995. This is mainly because of social welfare programs that were enacted during economic crises.

Even though poverty in Mexico is a sizable issue, there are certain steps the country can take to help those in poverty. Mexico can focus on decreasing the wealth gap and ensuring that economic growth benefits the poor. Additionally, Mexico can take steps to prosecute drug cartels. This may be easier said than done, but with these things in mind, Mexico can decrease poverty in the country.

– Ella Cady

Sources: World Bank, Huffington Post, IB Times, Poverties.org
Photo: PV

5 Interesting Facts About Martin Luther King Jr.

Facts about Martin Luther King Jr
Martin Luther King Jr. is arguably the most influential black leader in American history. He spearheaded a nationwide effort to end legal segregation while working to enact such laws as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  His most famous speech continues to be a staple in American culture. Discussed below are five interesting facts about Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Top 5 Facts About Martin Luther King Jr.

 

  1. King’s father was born Michael King, but changed his name in 1931 in reverence to the German theologian Martin Luther.
  2. After 12-year-old Martin learned that his grandmother had died from a heart attack in May 1941, he was so distraught that he jumped from a second story window of their house.
  3. Martin was almost assassinated before many of his famous civil rights accomplishments in the early 1960s. Izola Ware Curry approach Martin at a book signing for “Stride Towards Freedom.” After receiving confirmation that he was indeed Martin Luther King Jr. she exclaimed “I’ve been looking for you for five years” and stabbed Martin in the chest with a letter opener.  The blade pressed against his aorta and took several hours of careful surgery to remove.
  4. Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at the age of 35.  This made him the youngest male recipient of the prestigious award.  He donated the entire prize of $54,123 (now equivalent to $400,000) to the civil rights movement. Martin won dozens more awards for his work including the Medal of Freedom, Congressional Gold Medal, and a Grammy.  The Grammy was for Best Spoken Word Album, awarded in 1971 for King’s “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam.”
  5. Martin Luther King Jr. was targeted by the FBI for being “the most dangerous Negro of the future in this nation from the standpoint of communism, the Negro, and national security.”  Records of Martin taken by the FBI are held in the National Achieve but remain sealed from public access until 2027.

These facts about Martin Luther King Jr. provide but a glimpse into the life of a man whose work is still so vital to the progress of U.S. society and democracy.

– Sunny Bhatt

Sources: Today I Found Out, Biography
Photo: WP

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10 Facts about Child Soldiers

child soldier facts -borgen project
When the word “soldier” comes to mind many people think of a strong heroic adult who is fighting for their country. Many people think of a soldier as a person who has voluntarily put their life at risk once again for their country. But many people when they hear the word “soldier” do not think of children. When people hear the words “kids or children” they often think of a young person in school who enjoys playing. People most often think of a child as a young person with few responsibilities and very little stress. But for millions of children around the world this is not the case, many of them are recruited by governments to fight in wars. They are called child soldiers.

Top 10 Facts about Child Soldiers:

  1. Child soldiers are children under the age of 18 who are recruited by armed groups who use children as shields, cooks, suicide bombers, fighters, spies, messengers and/or for sexual purposes.
  2. Some children are under the age of 10 when they are forced to serve.
  3. Children who are forced to serve as soldiers most likely are displaced, poor, have little access to education or live in war zones.
  4. Some children willingly volunteer themselves as child soldiers because they believe it will give them a form of income and/or security.
  5. 10 to 30 percent of kid soldiers are girls. They are used for fighting and are especially vulnerable to sexual violence they are also given to commanders as wives.
  6. The following countries have reported use of child soldiers since 2011: Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Mali, Pakistan, Thailand, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and more.
  7. In 2007 there were between 7,000 to 10,000 child soldiers in combat although there was a government agreement in the District of Chad to demobilize the recruitment of child soldiers.
  8. Since there have been many technological advances in the making of war weapons they have been made real easy to use, which has contributed to the increase in child soldiers.
  9. Some child soldiers are forced to act violently against their families and communities to make sure they do not return home.
  10. Since 2001 child soldiers have been recruited in 21 armed conflicts all around the world.

Children’s childhoods and human rights are taken away once they are recruited to become child soldiers. Many of them are brainwashed to think it is okay to be serving in war zones at such a young age and often end up having psychological problems.

— Priscilla Rodarte

Sources: Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Do Something
Photo: IB Times

 

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