UNITED NATIONS - More than 2.2 billion people worldwide are “either near or living in poverty,” with main concentration in South Asia, the United Nations said in a flagship report released Thursday that examines the risks posed by natural or human-induced disasters and crises and offers ways to tackle them.
The Report, entitled ‘Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience’, said, “South Asia has … more than 800 million poor and over 270 million near-poor – that is, more than 71 percent of its population.”
The gap between the poor and rich is wide: the 85 richest people in the world have the same wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest, the report said.
“Almost 1.5 billion people are multi-dimensionally poor, with overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards. And close to 800 million people are vulnerable to falling back into poverty when setbacks occur.”  The report also shows that between 1990 and 2010 income inequality in developing countries jumped 11 percent. Now the world’s 85 billionaires have the same wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest people. The main concentration of poverty is in South Asia.
According to the report, high inequality between groups is not only unjust but can also affect well-being and threaten political stability.”When specific groups are discriminated against, resources and power are not distributed based on merit, and talented people are held back.”
The study also found that about 1.2 billion people survive on the equivalent of $1.25 or less a day, while 12 percent of the world’s population (842 million) suffer from chronic hunger.
“The poor, women, minorities (ethnic, linguistic, religious, migrant, or sexual), indigenous peoples, people in rural or remote areas or living with disabilities, and countries landlocked, or with limited natural resources tend to face higher barriers.”
The UN data highlights that one in five children in developing countries lives in absolute poverty. “In developing countries 7 in 100 will not survive beyond 5, 50 will not have their birth registered, 68 will not receive early childhood education, 17 will never enrol in primary school, 30 will be stunted and 25 will live in poverty.”
The rise of poverty worldwide may stem from various factors. A natural disaster, economic slump, corruption and unresponsive state institutions “can leave those in need of assistance without recourse,” says the document.
“Setbacks are not inevitable. While every society is vulnerable to risk, some suffer far less harm and recover more quickly than others when adversity strikes,” UNDP Administrator Helen Clark noted.
“By addressing vulnerabilities, all people may share in development progress, and human development will become increasingly equitable and sustainable.
“This year’s report explores structural vulnerabilities – those that have persisted and compounded over time as a result of discrimination and institutional failings, hurting groups such as the poor, women, migrants, people with disabilities, indigenous groups and older people. “It also introduces the idea of life cycle vulnerabilities – the sensitive points in life where shocks can have greater impact. These include the first 1,000 days of life, and the transitions from school to work, and from work to retirement.”
Khalid Malik, Director of the Human Development Report Office, highlighted how the 2014 report differs from last year’s, which was more upbeat.
“The 2013 report was about how so many more people are doing better, particularly over the last decade. This year’s report is also trying to look at those who have not done so well. And also look at how the world itself is getting a little bit more fractious, a little less predictable,” he said.
“There is a growing sense of unease as if somehow people are not in control of their own destinies. It’s both at the country level and it’s also on the global level. And this report tries to dig into those issues of vulnerability and then try to understand what policies, what measures are needed to make people and societies more resilient.”
Among other recommendations, the report calls for universal access to basic social services, especially health and education; stronger social protection, including unemployment insurance and pensions; and a commitment to full employment, recognizing that the value of employment extends far beyond the income it generates.
It recognizes that no matter how effective policies are in reducing inherent vulnerabilities, crises will continue to occur with potentially destructive consequences. Building capacities for disaster preparedness and recovery, which enable communities to better weather – and recover from – shocks, is vital.