GLOBAL POVERTY

There are many different countries all around the world. Some of them are richer and are called developed countries. Others are poorer. In the last century, global poverty has been spreading and the difference in quality of life between the richer half of the world and poorer countries has been increasing. There are obvious causes of this problem such as lack of food and water but there are also less obvious ones like climate change and conflict.

Climate change or global warming is a problem that some countries like to ignore. Trump has recently denied it exists. However, the world is warming up, ecosystems are being damaged and the balance of nature is being upset. One obvious outcome of global warming is erratic weather patterns. Floods wash away top soil and ruin crops. Hurricanes devastate towns. Desertification is also becoming a problem. In certain parts of Africa it hasn’t rained for months. Afghanistan is now a desert where even opium poppies no longer grow well. Under these conditions, poverty is a normal outcome, and there is no solution. The damage has been done. According to experts, we have reached the point of no return. In short, climate change is a major cause of global poverty.

The second major cause of global poverty in this century is conflict. The 21^st century is characterized by civil war and terrorism. The continuing civil war in Syria is a good example. There has been no production there for a long time. There has been no education either. This means the next generation will not be able to save the country either. The ongoing problem of terrorism in certain African countries and the rebellion in Yemen are two other examples of poverty caused by conflict. In Yemen, thousands are dying of starvation every day.  The infrastructure is ruined, schools are closed, production has stopped and the young population is ignorant. In such circumstances, poverty is unavoidable. In short, civil war negatively impacts countries for generations.

In conclusion, two major trends, climate change and conflict are making global poverty a more serious problem. The first is a long term situation. People should listen to experts and do everything they can to reverse the trend. The second is also a man made problem. Everything should be done to end civil wars so countries can start to rebuild themselves. In short, the solution is within our grasp.