extreme poverty

A women holds a child in the alley of a slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest countries; nearly 40% of the population survive on less than a dollar a day.

Health & Safety

The clock is ticking for U.N. goals to end poverty — and it doesn't look promising

1:51pm September 19, 2022

by Nurith Aizenman

Can we end poverty, provide food for all and otherwise make Earth a better place by 2030? By all accounts, the answer is no. So then what's the point of the Sustainable Development Goals?

Health & Safety

Health Care Costs Push A Staggering Number Of People Into Extreme Poverty

6:25am December 14, 2017

by Nurith Aizenman

And half the world's population doesn't even have access to essential health services, according to a report from the World Bank and the World Health Organization.

Philip Alston, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, is leading a mission to investigate poverty in the U.S.

The U.N. Looks At Extreme Poverty In The U.S., From Alabama To California

3:59pm December 12, 2017

One sign of the poverty they're investigating — the recent (and surprising) reemergence of hookworm in Lowndes County, Ala.

There are 767 million people in the world who live in extreme poverty — $1.90 a day or less for daily needs. But you can have more than that and still be considered poor. So the World Bank has now set two poverty lines for middle-income countries.

What's The Meaning Of The World Bank's New Poverty Lines?

1:51pm October 25, 2017

If you live on $1.90 a day or less, the World Bank says you are extremely poor. Two new poverty lines offer a way to measure poverty in middle income countries.

The M-PESA agent who works in this shop is part of a vast network of small-time vendors.

Dial M For Money: Can Mobile Banking Lift People Out Of Poverty?

2:44am December 10, 2016

by Nurith Aizenman

We look at the remarkable findings from a new study of Kenya's M-PESA system, out in 'Science.'

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A hamlet between the towns of Tsihombe and Ambovombe, in the most drought-stricken area in southern Madagascar. Most families in the region have resorted to eating wild fruits and tree leaves.

Drought-Stricken Southern Madagascar Teeters On The Edge Of Famine

4:18pm December 05, 2016

by Rhitu Chaterjee

Fighting extreme poverty and failing crops caused by a three-year drought, United Nations food agencies are struggling to keep the region's population from succumbing to starvation.

There's A 'Glaring' Gap In The War Against Poverty And Disease

6:43pm September 22, 2016

by Nurith Aizenman

The U.N. has set the goal of eliminating extreme poverty and reducing the toll of disease by 2030. But there's a surprising obstacle.

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Breaking bricks is one of the lowest-paying jobs in Bangladesh. This photo was shot at a brick kiln in the Dhaka District, home to the capital city of Dhaka.

Life On $1.25 A Day: Plenty Of Worries But Still Time For Tea

1:34pm September 26, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

United Nations member states pledged Friday to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030. That's defined as surviving on $1.25 per person per day. What is life really like on that amount?

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right, with blue necktie) arrives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the International Conference on Financing for Development.

The World Could Wipe Out Extreme Poverty By 2030. There's Just One Catch

3:26pm July 16, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

It'll take trillions of dollars — not billions, but trillions. Leaders are meeting in Ethiopia this week to figure out how to raise the money. Spoiler alert: Most of it won't come from governments.

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