Spotlight on global poverty

In 1990, the world rallied together around a set of goals in a global attempt to combat poverty.  The Millennium Development Goals comprise of eight targets which were agreed by all countries following the UN Millennium Summit in 2000.  The UN Secretary General described the attempt as the ‘most successful global anti-poverty push in history’. 

While all the goals are in some way linked to addressing poverty, one focuses explicitly on ‘eradicating extreme poverty and hunger’.  Although significant progress has been made ahead of the 2015 MDG deadline – poverty rates were halved between 1990 and 2010, as targeted - the scale of the poverty challenge is still plain to see:  a staggering 1.2 billion people, around one-fifth of the world’s population, continue to live in extreme poverty.

The global financial crisis has certainly fuelled greater vulnerabilities to poverty, especially in hitherto thriving countries. The forecast for the UK predicts a huge increase in the number of people living below the relative poverty line, with the number of working-age childless adults in poverty set to rise by over 40% from its current level of 3.4 million to 4.9 million by 2020.

With this trend, the need for a coordinated global effort to address poverty is more prevalent than ever. Countries will need to continue to find collaborative ways to tackle issues that pose a significant risk of aggravating poverty across the globe.

There are many aspects to poverty reduction, but for Homeless International it is clear that access to decent and affordable housing is an integral part of the challenge. Adding to global efforts, led by the UN, towards rallying governments, civil society and other partners, Homeless International’s long-term partnerships with organisations in Africa and Asia continue to make inroads into tackling this complex issue.

Adeyemi Oyewumi is head of development programmes and partnerships at Homeless International

Inside Housing has teamed up with Homeless International to offer three lucky readers the chance to win a trip to Africa in 2014, sponsored by the London Housing Foundation. To read more about the competition click here.

Read more here about poverty and homelessness action week.