UN Chief Calls Poverty An 'Insult' To Human Dignity As 1.2 Billion Face Severe Deprivation

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described poverty as an“insult” to human dignity and a denial of human rights, urging governments to take stronger action to address the inequalities that keep people trapped in poverty.

In a statement posted on X on Saturday, October 17, Guterres said the world has the resources and knowledge needed to eradicate poverty but must mobilize the political will and investment required to achieve that goal. He called for action against the inequalities and injustices that allow poverty to persist.

His remarks come as a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) found that 1.2 billion people across 108 countries experience acute multidimensional poverty. The figure represents an increase of 51.5 million from the previous update and marks the first rise in the total since the global index was launched in 2010.

The report measures poverty beyond income, examining overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards, including inadequate nutrition, limited schooling, unsafe sanitation, lack of clean drinking water and electricity, and poor housing. More than half of those experiencing multidimensional poverty, about 617 million people are children, while 83 percent live in rural areas.

Guterres said enabling people to live free from poverty requires collective action, sufficient resources and sustained political commitment so everyone can live with dignity. The UN has warned that progress toward ending poverty remains uneven, although the new report found that 33 of the 89 countries with comparable trend data had cut their multidimensional poverty index value by at least half in fewer than 15 years.

The findings add urgency to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal of reducing by at least half, by 2030, the proportion of people living in poverty in all its forms. UNDP and OPHI said the latest figures show that progress is possible but cannot be taken for granted, particularly as conflict, climate hazards and food insecurity continue to threaten livelihoods.

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