Part One:
A dream of the world leaders and
decision makers to eradicate poverty everywhere. Although this dream may seem
impossible, a light of hope may appear the other side of the tunnel.
World Bank report of 2018 indicates
that more 1.9 billion people (26% of the world population) live below the
poverty line.
Unified Arab Economic Report details
that poverty rate ranges from 4.8% in Morocco to 48% in Yemen. It also stresses
that the recent events such as revolutions and upheavals exacerbated poverty
rate.
World Bank measures poverty with the
poverty line, which consider whoever earns less than US $ 1.5 a day is among
poor segment. Due to changes in the cost of living everywhere in the world, World
Bank raised poverty line from $1.5 to $3.2. lately.
According to this definition, we can
confirm that there is no extreme poverty in UAE with World Bank measurement of
poverty line. UAE achieved first position worldwide in Legatum prosperity index
of 2019.
UAE experts state that the new world
poverty line adopted by the World Bank does not mirror the reality of poverty
line in UAE taking into consideration high rate of inflation and the escalating
prices. Poor people in UAE depend on financial assistance provided by the
Ministry of Community Development, Zakat Fund and other philanthropic
foundations in UAE.
Accordingly, there is a pressing need
for developing an approved national index of poverty line in UAE that considers
the actual situation (money required to fulfil basic needs such as food,
clothes, and shelter).
The absence of an index that fit UAE and the lack of a unified database for needy people resulted into lack of accurate statistics for poverty in UAE. However, official statistics indicate that there is an increase for requesting assistance following corona pandemic.
Written by the advisor: Ahmad Saad
Albadawi
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