UNITED NATIONS: A report by the UN Development Program (UNDP) and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) reveals that more than one billion people worldwide are living in multidimensional poverty, with children making up over half of this population.
The 2024 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which analyzed data from 112 countries, highlights how poverty rates are three times higher in conflict-affected nations, which have increased to their highest levels since World War II.
The report identified 455 million people living in conflict zones, where the struggle for basic needs such as adequate housing, sanitation, and nutrition is exacerbated by insecurity. The analysis also found that Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are home to 83.2% of the world’s poorest people.
Children are disproportionately affected, with 584 million minors living in extreme poverty. India leads with the largest population of impoverished people (234 million), followed by Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which together account for nearly half of the world’s poorest individuals.
The findings underscore the urgent need for poverty reduction initiatives and efforts to foster peace, according to Sabina Alkire, OPHI director. Alkire emphasized the challenge of reducing poverty in conflict areas and stressed the importance of durable peace to enable progress.
