The General Assembly of the United Nations officially declared the World Day of Poverty on October 17, 1993. The intention was to mark this day to warn about the problem of poverty and misery and the need for their eradication.
Today's date, October 17, was chosen as the date for commemoration because on October 17, 1987, a monument dedicated to the fight against poverty was unveiled in Paris. Poverty is the problem of today. Unfortunately, Croatia is not an exception to the black world statistics and we have witnessed that in the last few years, as a result of various economic trends and instability around the world, Croatia has also been affected by the increase in the number of poor people.
The fact is that poverty knows no boundaries of age, gender, or religion. Data show that the number of children in the Republic of Croatia who depend on social assistance has increased by 10% in the past two years. More than 50% of pensioners receive a pension lower than the average pension. Unfortunately, in the category of the poor, there are more and more working people who remain unemployed or work without receiving a salary, as well as young people whose unemployment rate is at the very top of Europe.
Globally, more than 800 million people still live on less than US$1.25 a day; many do not have adequate nutrition, proper drinking water and sanitary conditions. Rapid economic growth in countries such as China and India has lifted millions of people out of poverty, but progress has been uneven. Women live in poverty in disproportionately higher numbers than men due to unequal opportunities for employment, education and property ownership.
Likewise, progress is limited to regions such as South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with 80% of the total number of people living in extreme poverty. This rate is expected to increase due to new threats brought by climate change, conflict and food shortages. The Sustainable Development Goals represent a bold commitment to finish what we started and eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions by 2030. It includes helping people living in vulnerable environments, providing essential resources and services, and helping communities affected by conflict and climate disasters. Eradication of poverty is one of the 17 global goals of the Sustainable Development Program until 2030.
Prepared by: Andrea Božić