UN Report Highlights Plight of the Poor in Conflict Zones

New york: More than a billion people around the globe struggle with acute poverty, with 40 percent residing in areas plagued by violent conflicts, a recent UN-backed study reveals. According to Emirates News Agency, the study was released as part of the updated global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), a collaborative effort between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford. This year's MPI assessment spanned 112 countries and covered 6.3 billion people, identifying that 1.1 billion live in acute poverty, with 455 million in nations experiencing war or fragility. Achim Steiner, the UNDP Administrator, emphasized the severe impact of conflicts, noting, "Conflicts have intensified and multiplied in recent years, reaching new highs in casualties, displacing record millions of people, and causing widespread disruption to lives and livelihoods." The report also highlighted the disproportionate effect on children, with more than half of the impoverished under 18 years of age, totaling 584 million. This represents nearly 28 percent of children worldwide, in stark contrast to 13.5 percent of adults living in poverty. The MPI, first introduced in 2010, continues to serve as a crucial tool in understanding and addressing the complex dimensions of poverty, particularly in regions destabilized by conflict.