Some Facts about Global Poverty
1. Nearly half of the world's population - more than 3 billion people - live on less than $2.50 a day.
More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty - less than $1.25 a day.
2. 1 billion children worldwide are living in poverty. According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty.
3. 805 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat.
4. More than 750,000,000 people lack adequate access to clean drinking water.
5. Preventable diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia take the lives of 2 million children a year who are too poor to afford proper treatment.
6. 25% of all humans live without electricity.
7. 80% of the world's population lives on less than $10 a day.
8. Oxfam estimates that it would take $60 billion annually to end extreme global poverty - that's less than 25% of the income of the top 100 richest billionaires.
9. Hunger is the number one cause of death in the world, killing more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
10. More than 400 million people in Africa live on less than $1.25 a day.
11. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
12. An analysis of long term trends shows the distance between the richest and poorest countries was about:
- 3 to 1 in 1820.
- 11 to 1 in 1913.
- 35 to 1 in 1950.
- 44 to 1 in 1973.
- 72 to 1 in 1992.
Gandhi is supposed to have said:
"Live simply so that others may simply live."
In wealthy nations (like Australia where I live) it is not a matter of living simply, it is only a matter of making the SMALLEST sacrifice to donate $30 to $60 a month to an organization like World Vision. Almost all Australians could easily afford to donate $1 or $2 a day to an organization which provides food to starving and hungry children in the world's poorest nations. One person in Australia who long term donates just $30 to $60 a month ($1 or $2 a day) to World Vision could easily save the life of a child in the third world. Cigarettes can cost approx $30 a packet here; a schooner of beer can cost $5. And then there are the billions spent (wasted) on gambling..... If any person who smoked or drank alcohol smoked 2 less cigarettes a day or 2 less beers a week, or one less Lotto ticket a week or fortnight, and donated that money to a charity like World Vision he or she could save a child's life.
Many would regard my wife and I as poor here in Australia but we have over $100 a day to spend.
Very many in Australia would have between $200 to $300 a day to spend.
To donate 1% or 2% of your income in Australia to a charity helping starving children in poor nations would involve the SMALLEST sacrifice. Yet most people don't do it; despite often seeing images of starving and suffering children on their TVs.
More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty - less than $1.25 a day.
2. 1 billion children worldwide are living in poverty. According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty.
3. 805 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat.
4. More than 750,000,000 people lack adequate access to clean drinking water.
5. Preventable diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia take the lives of 2 million children a year who are too poor to afford proper treatment.
6. 25% of all humans live without electricity.
7. 80% of the world's population lives on less than $10 a day.
8. Oxfam estimates that it would take $60 billion annually to end extreme global poverty - that's less than 25% of the income of the top 100 richest billionaires.
9. Hunger is the number one cause of death in the world, killing more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
10. More than 400 million people in Africa live on less than $1.25 a day.
11. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
12. An analysis of long term trends shows the distance between the richest and poorest countries was about:
- 3 to 1 in 1820.
- 11 to 1 in 1913.
- 35 to 1 in 1950.
- 44 to 1 in 1973.
- 72 to 1 in 1992.
Gandhi is supposed to have said:
"Live simply so that others may simply live."
In wealthy nations (like Australia where I live) it is not a matter of living simply, it is only a matter of making the SMALLEST sacrifice to donate $30 to $60 a month to an organization like World Vision. Almost all Australians could easily afford to donate $1 or $2 a day to an organization which provides food to starving and hungry children in the world's poorest nations. One person in Australia who long term donates just $30 to $60 a month ($1 or $2 a day) to World Vision could easily save the life of a child in the third world. Cigarettes can cost approx $30 a packet here; a schooner of beer can cost $5. And then there are the billions spent (wasted) on gambling..... If any person who smoked or drank alcohol smoked 2 less cigarettes a day or 2 less beers a week, or one less Lotto ticket a week or fortnight, and donated that money to a charity like World Vision he or she could save a child's life.
Many would regard my wife and I as poor here in Australia but we have over $100 a day to spend.
Very many in Australia would have between $200 to $300 a day to spend.
To donate 1% or 2% of your income in Australia to a charity helping starving children in poor nations would involve the SMALLEST sacrifice. Yet most people don't do it; despite often seeing images of starving and suffering children on their TVs.
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