The world faces many challenges in poverty eradication.

The world faces many challenges in poverty eradication. (Illustration: UN)

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17) is an occasion for the international community to raise their determination to act towards a full, prosperous and happy life.

With Resolution 47/196 adopted on December 22, 1992, the United Nations General Assembly officially declared October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and called on all countries to celebrate this day, depending on the circumstances of each country, to carry out specific activities to eliminate poverty and suffering. The idea of ​​this day was inspired by the event on October 17, 1987, when about 100,000 people gathered at Trocadéro Square, Paris (France) to remember the victims of poverty, violence and hunger.

Since then, October 17 has become a day for countries around the world to honor efforts to eradicate poverty, raise awareness of the issue, and call for action from governments, international organizations, and communities to achieve the goal of eliminating global poverty. This year, the theme of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is "Ending social and institutional abuse, working together for just, peaceful and inclusive societies".

Although much progress has been made in recent times, the world's poverty eradication efforts still face many challenges.

A new World Bank report says the world’s 26 poorest countries, home to the poorest 40% of the population, are more indebted than at any time since 2006. They are located in sub-Saharan Africa, from Ethiopia to Chad and Congo. Afghanistan and Yemen are also among the poorest countries.

The report found that the economies of these 26 countries are in even more trouble than they were just before the COVID-19 pandemic, even as much of the world has recovered and returned to growth. The report added that two-thirds of the 26 poorest countries are experiencing armed conflict or have difficulty maintaining social order, which hinders foreign investment opportunities.

The impact of natural disasters and climate change is also one of the reasons why poverty remains a major challenge in many countries.

Months of drought in southern Africa due to El Niño have had a devastating impact on more than 27 million people and threaten to turn into the worst famine in decades in the region, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on October 15. Specifically, five southern African countries - Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe - have declared national disasters due to drought and famine. In addition to the five countries that have declared disasters and requested international aid, Angola and Mozambique are also "severely affected". WFP estimates that about 21 million children in southern Africa are currently malnourished due to crop failures.

Scientists say sub-Saharan Africa is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change due to its heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture and natural resources. Millions of Africans depend on climate for their livelihoods, while poor countries are unable to finance climate-resilient measures.

Meanwhile, the “World Survey on the Role of Women in Development 2024” by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) has shown that the widening gender gap in social protection makes women and girls more vulnerable to falling into poverty.

UN Women also addresses the stark reality of the gendered nature of poverty. Women and girls are disproportionately poor at every stage of the life course, with the gap widening during the reproductive years. Women aged 25-34 are 25% more likely to live in extremely poor households than men in the same age group. Conflict and climate change exacerbate these inequalities./.

Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/the-gioi/nhung-van-de-toan-cau/the-gioi-doi-mat-voi-nhieu-thach-thuc-ve-xoa-ngheo-680760.html