EDITORIAL: The state of human well-being in much of the world continues to present a complex, worrying picture, with the details emerging from a UN Development Programme and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative report on multidimensional poverty revealing some highly distressing information.
According to the report, released on October 17 and featuring research on 112 countries, a staggering 1.1 billion people are living in acute poverty worldwide, over half of whom are children, and nearly 40 percent are living in conflict-afflicted or fragile countries.
The report contains an in-depth analysis on the link between poverty and conflict, revealing that for the poor living in countries ravaged by war or politically volatile environments, the cycle of violence and extreme instability exacerbates their economic hardships and makes eking out a living an uphill battle, further complicating escape from poverty.
To understand all the pernicious aspects of grinding poverty, we must first acknowledge that it extends beyond the lack of financial resources. It encompasses a much broader range of indicators that together offer a more comprehensive view of the issue.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index that the report has employed captures these various dimensions, including those pertaining to nutrition, housing, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, child mortality and years of schooling.
Further insights from the report disclose that 83.2 percent of the world’s poorest live in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with nearly half residing in just five countries. What is most concerning here is that Pakistan ranks second among these nations with 93 million of its citizens living in acute poverty.
Only India with 234 million residents has more people living in such utter destitution. Given the intense political and economic instability that has wracked the country over the last few years, the dismal revelations pertaining to Pakistan shouldn’t be a surprise; however, the sheer scale of rampant poverty still comes as a shock, and an indictment of the state’s skewed priorities in recent times where it has been too occupied with meaningless political manoeuvrings and short-term interests to address the urgent needs of its most vulnerable populations.
There are stark regional disparities at play, with the proportion of people living in severe poverty the highest in the erstwhile tribal areas (45.8 percent), followed by Balochistan (41 percent), Sindh (32.1 percent), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (26.5 percent) and Punjab (12.2 percent).
The malevolent impact of militancy and terrorism in K-P’s tribal belt and Balochistan has clearly contributed to these disparities, hindering economic development and perpetuating cycles of displacement, destitution and instability.
Additionally, the impacts of climate change, coupled with elite capture, have further exacerbated extreme poverty in the country, as powerful interests manipulate resources and policy decisions to favour a select few, leaving marginalised communities without the support they desperately need.
Globally, the sources of extreme poverty are not that different, with those living in conflict-ridden regions – around 455 million people – facing considerably harsher deprivations than those residing in relatively peaceful settings. This phenomenon takes on even more significance as 2023 saw more conflicts than at any time since World War II, with 117 million people being forcibly displaced due to conflict and other disasters.
There is a pressing need, therefore, for global powers and national leaders to invest in peace initiatives, alongside efforts to combat climate change and implement poverty alleviation measures that prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable.
However, the seriousness and will to address abject poverty and eliminate major conflicts remain in doubt, as evidenced by the escalating violence in Gaza, Lebanon, and beyond.
Given this harsh reality, it seems likely that extreme poverty will endure, as the lack of decisive action continues to be exacerbated by ongoing violence and criminal political apathy on the part of major powers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024