Christmas is a little different in Brazil for Jose Ivanildo Leandro da Silva, who is dressed as Santa as he looks to overcome mobility and poverty barriers in the capital Brasilia. Da Silva is disabled and gets about on his skateboard, skirting between traffic to ask for donations for the neediest children of Brazil's capital.

Disabled Santa in Brazil highlights mobility barriers this Christmas

COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed new wave of poverty in Spain. The demands for food banks has now grown immensely in the last few months in the country.

Rise in poverty adding pressure on food banks on Spain

As many as 150 million more children have faced poverty since the coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this year, an analysis by Unicef published on Thursday said.&nbsp;

With this addition, 1.2 billion people worldwide are living in multi-dimensional poverty.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-pushes-37-million-people-into-extreme-poverty-gates-foundation-327805">Coronavirus pushes 37 million people into extreme poverty: Gates Foundation</a>

The analysis, conducted by Unicef and child rights' organisation Save the Children, said there has been a 15 per cent increase in the multi-dimensional poverty faced by children since the start of Covid-19 outbreak.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-hands-out-so-much-covid-cash-that-poverty-nears-historic-low-327132">Brazil hands out so much Covid cash that poverty nears historic low</a>

In its release, the UN body said that access to education, healthcare, housing, nutrition, sanitation and water are taken to work out multi-dimensional poverty and the data from over 70 countries has been included for the analysis.&nbsp;

The condition presented by Unicef already is grave and the organisation warned of a worsening condition in the future.&nbsp;

"COVID-19 and the lockdown measures imposed to prevent its spread have pushed millions of children deeper into poverty," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, reported news agency PTI.&nbsp;

"Families on the cusp of escaping poverty have been pulled back in, while others are experiencing levels of deprivation they have never seen before. Most concerningly, we are closer to the beginning of this crisis than its end."

Apart from making more children poor, the report also suggests that already poor children have become poorer after the arrival of the outbreak.

On average, the severe deprivation per child was nearly 0.7, which has not increased to about 0.85 after the pandemic began.&nbsp;

Unicef suggests social protection, inclusive fiscal policies, employment, labour market interventions, among others to help families facing extreme poverty.&nbsp;

It also said the expanding of health care services, providing the tools and technology for children so that education can be continued remotely and encouraging policies such as paid leave for child care as possible solutions.&nbsp;

As many as 150 million more children have faced poverty since the coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this year, an analysis by Unicef published on Thursday said.

As many as 150 million more children have faced poverty since the coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this year, an analysis by Unicef published on Thursday said. With this addition, 1.2 billion people worldwide are living in multi-dimensional poverty. Also read | Coronavirus pushes 37 million people into extreme poverty: Gates Foundation The analysis, conducted by Unicef and child rights' organisation Save the Children, said there has been a 15 per cent increase in the multi-dimensional poverty faced by children since the start of Covid-19 outbreak. Also read | Brazil hands out so much Covid cash that poverty nears historic low In its release, the UN body said that access to education, healthcare, housing, nutrition, sanitation and water are taken to work out multi-dimensional poverty and the data from over 70 countries has been included for the analysis. The condition presented by Unicef already is grave and the organisation warned of a worsening condition in the future. "COVID-19 and the lockdown measures imposed to prevent its spread have pushed millions of children deeper into poverty," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, reported news agency PTI. "Families on the cusp of escaping poverty have been pulled back in, while others are experiencing levels of deprivation they have never seen before. Most concerningly, we are closer to the beginning of this crisis than its end." Apart from making more children poor, the report also suggests that already poor children have become poorer after the arrival of the outbreak. On average, the severe deprivation per child was nearly 0.7, which has not increased to about 0.85 after the pandemic began. Unicef suggests social protection, inclusive fiscal policies, employment, labour market interventions, among others to help families facing extreme poverty. It also said the expanding of health care services, providing the tools and technology for children so that education can be continued remotely and encouraging policies such as paid leave for child care as possible solutions.

Coronavirus has dragged 150 million more children into poverty: Unicef

Rapid population growth, lack of access to food and water, and increased exposure to natural disasters mean more than 1 billion people face being displaced by 2050

1 Billion people will have to forcefully migrate: New report predicts humanitarian crisis

The coronavirus pandemic may have driven as many as 47 million women and girls into extreme poverty by 2021 in South Asia.

The report, "From Insights to Action: Gender Equality in the wake of COVID-19", said that the gender poverty gap will worsen further still in South Asia.

According to new data released by the UN, the female poverty rate in South Asia will increase in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and more women than men in the 25-34 age group will be poorer in the next decade.

"The expected rise of poverty in South Asia as a result of the economic fallout of the pandemic showcases the vulnerability of women and girls living in households that have only recently been able to escape poverty, the report released on Wednesday said.

The pre-pandemic female poverty rate in South Asia was projected to be 10 per cent in 2021 but is now expected to reach 13 per cent.

"Moreover, before the pandemic, projections for the region suggested that by 2030 only 15.8 per cent of the world's poor women and girls would be living in South Asia.

In the 25-34 age group, there will be 118 poor women for every 100 poor men in South Asia, and that ratio will increase to 129 women for every 100 men by 2030.

Meanwhile, the Washington-based development lender previously estimated that 60 million people would fall into extreme poverty due to COVID-19, but the new estimate puts the deterioration at 70 to 100 million, and he said "that number could go higher" if the pandemic worsens or drags on.

The situation makes it "imperative" that creditors reduce the amount of debt held by poor countries at risk, going beyond the commitment to suspend debt payments, Malpass said in an interview with AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

The coronavirus pandemic may have driven as many as 47 million women and girls into extreme poverty by 2021 in South Asia. The report, "From Insights to Action: Gender Equality in the wake of COVID-19", said that the gender poverty gap will worsen further still in South Asia.

The coronavirus pandemic may have driven as many as 47 million women and girls into extreme poverty by 2021 in South Asia. The report, "From Insights to Action: Gender Equality in the wake of COVID-19", said that the gender poverty gap will worsen further still in South Asia. According to new data released by the UN, the female poverty rate in South Asia will increase in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and more women than men in the 25-34 age group will be poorer in the next decade. "The expected rise of poverty in South Asia as a result of the economic fallout of the pandemic showcases the vulnerability of women and girls living in households that have only recently been able to escape poverty, the report released on Wednesday said. The pre-pandemic female poverty rate in South Asia was projected to be 10 per cent in 2021 but is now expected to reach 13 per cent. "Moreover, before the pandemic, projections for the region suggested that by 2030 only 15.8 per cent of the world's poor women and girls would be living in South Asia. In the 25-34 age group, there will be 118 poor women for every 100 poor men in South Asia, and that ratio will increase to 129 women for every 100 men by 2030. Meanwhile, the Washington-based development lender previously estimated that 60 million people would fall into extreme poverty due to COVID-19, but the new estimate puts the deterioration at 70 to 100 million, and he said "that number could go higher" if the pandemic worsens or drags on. The situation makes it "imperative" that creditors reduce the amount of debt held by poor countries at risk, going beyond the commitment to suspend debt payments, Malpass said in an interview with AFP. (With inputs from agencies)

Female poverty rate in South Asia projected to rise due to covid-19: UN 

Venezuelans tame economic crisis with creative solutions

Martha Kahari was already struggling to make ends meet after Zimbabwe's coronavirus lockdown forced her to stop selling second-hand clothes and tomatoes at the side of the road in the capital Harare.

Then the council came to tear down her stall.&nbsp;

Since April, local authorities in Zimbabwe's major cities have demolished thousands of illegally built structures that vendors like Kahari use to sell their wares, in what authorities have said is an effort to legitimise informal trade in the city.&nbsp;

With her stall destroyed, the 40-year-old disabled mother of two has given up hope of being able to afford rent or pay back the money she borrowed to buy the stock she planned to sell once the lockdown was lifted.

"If I don't settle the loan soon, they will come and take my goods," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/zimbabwe-president-says-currency-under-attack-as-prices-spiral-304926" hreflang="en">Zimbabwe president says currency under attack as prices spiral</a>

"Because I've been deprived of income, I have to live in one room at my in-laws' with my two children and my property. We have no money for food and no one is helping us."

Vendors and informal workers' groups in Zimbabwe say that city officials, with the support of the national government, are exploiting the lockdown to destroy makeshift shops and market stalls while their owners are observing stay-at-home orders.

Oliver Chidawu, minister of state for Harare, and the city's mayor Herbert Gomba said in a joint statement in April that they had "noted with concern the anxiety that has gripped players in the informal sector" since the demolitions began.

The aim of the operation was to remove illegal businesses and ensure that cities are "clean, orderly and well-managed" while also making sure councils don't lose out on potential revenue, they said.

Crackdowns on informal traders, who make up more than three-quarters of the country's population, according to the Informal Economy Traders Association, are a frequent occurrence in Zimbabwe.&nbsp;

The last major wave of demolitions happened early last year, when about 2,500 stalls were torn down in Harare and Chitungwiza, a town about 30km (19 miles) south of the capital.

Samuel Wadzai, executive director of the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET), a union based in Harare, said the current operation has destroyed the livelihoods of more than 3 million vendors.

Having already gone without income since the southern African nation went into lockdown on March 30, many vendors lost essential stock and prized possessions when their stalls were destroyed, Wadzai said.

"Our members lost merchandise and property worth millions of dollars in the nationwide blitz," he said.

Vendors' rights advocates note that with Zimbabwe in the grips of an economic crisis that has seen soaring food prices and food shortages, vendors have spent any savings they had on feeding their families.

Now they will have no place to work from and no way to buy new stock once the lockdown is lifted, Wadzai said.

HAWKING FROM HOME

To survive, some vendors have turned to social media to ask for money and food donations, while others are hawking from their homes.

Bidnock Kunaka, 55, had two stalls - one in Kuwadzana suburb where he lives and another in central Harare - from which he sold various commodities, ranging from fruits and vegetables to hardware.

Because he was home observing lockdown rules, he learned about the demolitions from media reports and fellow vendors.

When he finally had the chance to check on his stall in Kuwadzana, he found only the shell left. Vendors were given no warnings that the demolitions were coming, Kunaka said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/virus-gods-punishment-of-west-zimbabwe-minister-286515" hreflang="en">Virus 'god's punishment' of west: Zimbabwe minister</a>

"I can't put food on the table now. The cash I had set aside to stock the business, we have exhausted on food and other household needs," said the father of four.

Without that working capital, Kunaka, who became a vendor in 2016 after losing his job as a factory worker, said it will be impossible to restart his business after the lockdown.

Instead, he has turned a portion of the land at his house into a market garden, where he is growing carrots, onions and leaf greens.

"I'm hoping from the garden I will manage to generate income to feed the family and to start vending again," he said.

DESIGNATED SPACES

Wadzai at VISET said the criminalisation of vendors and the demolition of their stalls goes against the state's responsibility to promote small businesses.

City officials have promised to accommodate vendors in approved spaces that will be designated for use by market vendors once the lockdown is lifted.

"The city of Harare and other local authorities are already in the process of identifying and preparing alternate workplaces for informal traders," Chidawu and Gomba said in their joint statement.&nbsp;

But Wadzai said the committees deciding how to allocate and use those spaces had not reached out to any vendors or informal workers' unions for their input.

"It is not fair for the authorities to take advantage of COVID-19 lockdown to attack the livelihoods of people and without any consultation," he said over the phone.

&nbsp;

'VENDORS ARE DYING'

While the Zimbabwean government has begun easing some lockdown measures to allow commerce and industry to slowly restart, the informal sector is still prohibited from operating.

Simon Masanga, the permanent secretary for social welfare, said in May the government began distributing 180 Zimbabwean dollars ($7.20) per month to more than 2,000 people who had been affected by the lockdown and the clampdown on vendors.&nbsp;

The goal is to scale up to 1 million beneficiaries, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding that registering vendors for financial aid was a slow process due to lockdown measures.

Vendors' rights groups like the Informal Economy Traders Association have described the payments as "paltry", saying they barely cover a family's most basic needs.

A family of five in Zimbabwe needs about 7,500 Zimbabwean dollars (about $300) per month to cover their basic needs, according to figures reported by Zimstat, the national statistics agency, in April.&nbsp;

"We are not saying this money is enough to meet basic requirements, but it will go a long way in assisting someone who does not have any money in their pocket," Masanga said in response to the criticisms.

If the government wants to help vendors recover from both the impacts of the pandemic and the loss of their stalls, it should ease the informal trading sector out of lockdown and put a rush on aid payments, Wadzai said.

"The government needs to speedily disburse funds to cushion those vulnerable," he said.

"It's taking too long. Vendors are literally dying of hunger."

Martha Kahari was already struggling to make ends meet after Zimbabwe's coronavirus lockdown forced her to stop selling second-hand clothes and tomatoes at the side of the road in the capital Harare.

Martha Kahari was already struggling to make ends meet after Zimbabwe's coronavirus lockdown forced her to stop selling second-hand clothes and tomatoes at the side of the road in the capital Harare. Then the council came to tear down her stall. Since April, local authorities in Zimbabwe's major cities have demolished thousands of illegally built structures that vendors like Kahari use to sell their wares, in what authorities have said is an effort to legitimise informal trade in the city. With her stall destroyed, the 40-year-old disabled mother of two has given up hope of being able to afford rent or pay back the money she borrowed to buy the stock she planned to sell once the lockdown was lifted. "If I don't settle the loan soon, they will come and take my goods," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Also read: Zimbabwe president says currency under attack as prices spiral "Because I've been deprived of income, I have to live in one room at my in-laws' with my two children and my property. We have no money for food and no one is helping us." Vendors and informal workers' groups in Zimbabwe say that city officials, with the support of the national government, are exploiting the lockdown to destroy makeshift shops and market stalls while their owners are observing stay-at-home orders. Oliver Chidawu, minister of state for Harare, and the city's mayor Herbert Gomba said in a joint statement in April that they had "noted with concern the anxiety that has gripped players in the informal sector" since the demolitions began. The aim of the operation was to remove illegal businesses and ensure that cities are "clean, orderly and well-managed" while also making sure councils don't lose out on potential revenue, they said. Crackdowns on informal traders, who make up more than three-quarters of the country's population, according to the Informal Economy Traders Association, are a frequent occurrence in Zimbabwe. The last major wave of demolitions happened early last year, when about 2,500 stalls were torn down in Harare and Chitungwiza, a town about 30km (19 miles) south of the capital. Samuel Wadzai, executive director of the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET), a union based in Harare, said the current operation has destroyed the livelihoods of more than 3 million vendors. Having already gone without income since the southern African nation went into lockdown on March 30, many vendors lost essential stock and prized possessions when their stalls were destroyed, Wadzai said. "Our members lost merchandise and property worth millions of dollars in the nationwide blitz," he said. Vendors' rights advocates note that with Zimbabwe in the grips of an economic crisis that has seen soaring food prices and food shortages, vendors have spent any savings they had on feeding their families. Now they will have no place to work from and no way to buy new stock once the lockdown is lifted, Wadzai said. HAWKING FROM HOME To survive, some vendors have turned to social media to ask for money and food donations, while others are hawking from their homes. Bidnock Kunaka, 55, had two stalls - one in Kuwadzana suburb where he lives and another in central Harare - from which he sold various commodities, ranging from fruits and vegetables to hardware. Because he was home observing lockdown rules, he learned about the demolitions from media reports and fellow vendors. When he finally had the chance to check on his stall in Kuwadzana, he found only the shell left. Vendors were given no warnings that the demolitions were coming, Kunaka said. Also read: Virus 'god's punishment' of west: Zimbabwe minister "I can't put food on the table now. The cash I had set aside to stock the business, we have exhausted on food and other household needs," said the father of four. Without that working capital, Kunaka, who became a vendor in 2016 after losing his job as a factory worker, said it will be impossible to restart his business after the lockdown. Instead, he has turned a portion of the land at his house into a market garden, where he is growing carrots, onions and leaf greens. "I'm hoping from the garden I will manage to generate income to feed the family and to start vending again," he said. DESIGNATED SPACES Wadzai at VISET said the criminalisation of vendors and the demolition of their stalls goes against the state's responsibility to promote small businesses. City officials have promised to accommodate vendors in approved spaces that will be designated for use by market vendors once the lockdown is lifted. "The city of Harare and other local authorities are already in the process of identifying and preparing alternate workplaces for informal traders," Chidawu and Gomba said in their joint statement. But Wadzai said the committees deciding how to allocate and use those spaces had not reached out to any vendors or informal workers' unions for their input. "It is not fair for the authorities to take advantage of COVID-19 lockdown to attack the livelihoods of people and without any consultation," he said over the phone. 'VENDORS ARE DYING' While the Zimbabwean government has begun easing some lockdown measures to allow commerce and industry to slowly restart, the informal sector is still prohibited from operating. Simon Masanga, the permanent secretary for social welfare, said in May the government began distributing 180 Zimbabwean dollars ($7.20) per month to more than 2,000 people who had been affected by the lockdown and the clampdown on vendors. The goal is to scale up to 1 million beneficiaries, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding that registering vendors for financial aid was a slow process due to lockdown measures. Vendors' rights groups like the Informal Economy Traders Association have described the payments as "paltry", saying they barely cover a family's most basic needs. A family of five in Zimbabwe needs about 7,500 Zimbabwean dollars (about $300) per month to cover their basic needs, according to figures reported by Zimstat, the national statistics agency, in April. "We are not saying this money is enough to meet basic requirements, but it will go a long way in assisting someone who does not have any money in their pocket," Masanga said in response to the criticisms. If the government wants to help vendors recover from both the impacts of the pandemic and the loss of their stalls, it should ease the informal trading sector out of lockdown and put a rush on aid payments, Wadzai said. "The government needs to speedily disburse funds to cushion those vulnerable," he said. "It's taking too long. Vendors are literally dying of hunger."

'Dying of hunger': Zimbabwe street vendors hit by coronavirus clampdown

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that developing countries like Pakistan face the dilemma of whether to protect their people from COVID-19 or hunger as he defended his decision to ease the nationwide lockdown to save millions of people who would have starved to death due to the coronavirus-related restrictions.

Khan made the comments while addressing the the World Economic Forum through a video link, highlighting the economic vulnerabilities of the developing countries in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We had to face a twin challenge. One was to stem the growth of the virus, but the bigger challenge is how to mitigate the effects of lockdown on our population and rising poverty," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-plans-to-seek-2-billion-in-loans-from-world-bank-adb-299924">Also read:&nbsp;Pakistan plans to seek $2 billion in loans from World Bank, ADB</a>

Pakistan on May 9 began easing the month-long nationwide lockdown in a phased manner by allowing various businesses to open up, citing the economic crisis due to the shutdown.

Khan defended his policy of easing the lockdown as millions would have starved if the government had not lifted the lockdown meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"In Pakistan, we have 25 million workers who are either daily wagers or are self-employed, and these are 25 million families. I say it has affected 120-150 million in total," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/now-pakistan-digs-up-680-million-scam-linked-to-chinas-cpec-299995">Also read:&nbsp;Now, Pakistan digs up $680 million scam linked to China's CPEC</a>

He said that the Pakistan government made a critical decision to provide cash to poor families and so far 15 million families had received money.

"These people are facing stark poverty, and unless these people work, they will starve," he said, adding that his government started a cash disbursement programme but that is only a "short term solution."

Khan supported the effort by the G-20 nations to come up with debt relief, saying it would help divert resources to fight the pandemic.

"G-20 countries are coming up with a debt relief [initiative] but we need more details. The reason why there should be [such an initiative] is because we need that fiscal space to divert resources to healthcare and the environment," he said.

He said already a lot of the developing countries lack the fiscal space to put money into healthcare and it was now becoming even more difficult due to their economic fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak.

"I have spoken to the leaders of Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt and they told me that they were facing similar issues such as drop in exports and revenue," he said.

Khan said that the pandemic did not hit the developing countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh with the speed as it did in the Europe and the US.

"Firstly, the speed with which the virus spread in the Europe and the US, it didn't spread in the same way here," he said, adding that countries like Pakistan faced tough economic challenges.

He said the virus hit Pakistan at the worst time when it was in a position to make economic recovery after tough reforms.

Khan said that the coming year would be a challenge for Pakistan and also for the rest of the world.

"After the pandemic, every country looked within and became insular. But ultimately we are all connected and the response has to be global," he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that developing countries like Pakistan face the dilemma of whether to protect their people from COVID-19 or hunger as he defended his decision to ease the nationwide lockdown to save millions of people who would have starved to death due to the coronavirus-related restrictions.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that developing countries like Pakistan face the dilemma of whether to protect their people from COVID-19 or hunger as he defended his decision to ease the nationwide lockdown to save millions of people who would have starved to death due to the coronavirus-related restrictions. Khan made the comments while addressing the the World Economic Forum through a video link, highlighting the economic vulnerabilities of the developing countries in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. "We had to face a twin challenge. One was to stem the growth of the virus, but the bigger challenge is how to mitigate the effects of lockdown on our population and rising poverty," he said. Also read: Pakistan plans to seek $2 billion in loans from World Bank, ADB Pakistan on May 9 began easing the month-long nationwide lockdown in a phased manner by allowing various businesses to open up, citing the economic crisis due to the shutdown. Khan defended his policy of easing the lockdown as millions would have starved if the government had not lifted the lockdown meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus. "In Pakistan, we have 25 million workers who are either daily wagers or are self-employed, and these are 25 million families. I say it has affected 120-150 million in total," he said. Also read: Now, Pakistan digs up $680 million scam linked to China's CPEC He said that the Pakistan government made a critical decision to provide cash to poor families and so far 15 million families had received money. "These people are facing stark poverty, and unless these people work, they will starve," he said, adding that his government started a cash disbursement programme but that is only a "short term solution." Khan supported the effort by the G-20 nations to come up with debt relief, saying it would help divert resources to fight the pandemic. "G-20 countries are coming up with a debt relief [initiative] but we need more details. The reason why there should be [such an initiative] is because we need that fiscal space to divert resources to healthcare and the environment," he said. He said already a lot of the developing countries lack the fiscal space to put money into healthcare and it was now becoming even more difficult due to their economic fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak. "I have spoken to the leaders of Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt and they told me that they were facing similar issues such as drop in exports and revenue," he said. Khan said that the pandemic did not hit the developing countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh with the speed as it did in the Europe and the US. "Firstly, the speed with which the virus spread in the Europe and the US, it didn't spread in the same way here," he said, adding that countries like Pakistan faced tough economic challenges. He said the virus hit Pakistan at the worst time when it was in a position to make economic recovery after tough reforms. Khan said that the coming year would be a challenge for Pakistan and also for the rest of the world. "After the pandemic, every country looked within and became insular. But ultimately we are all connected and the response has to be global," he said.

Millions would have starved if COVID-19 lockdown was not eased: Pak PM

More than half a billion people across the world can be pushed&nbsp;below the poverty line due to the coronavirus pandemic, Oxfam&nbsp;has warned.

A report was presented by it before virtual meetings of finance ministers of the G20 group of leading developed and developing nations, the International Monetary Fund and the&nbsp;World Bank to give suggestions on how the dire situation can be avoided.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/covid-19-could-lead-to-deepest-economic-recession-of-our-lifetime-wto-291380" hreflang="en">COVID-19 could lead to deepest economic recession of our lifetime: WTO</a>

It cited research by the King's College London and Australian National University estimating that 8 per cent of the world's population could be forced into poverty due to the adverse impact of COVID-19.

The International aid group&nbsp;on Thursday urged world leaders to agree a comprehensive rescue package to muster some $2.5 trillion needed to prevent this outcome.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-commissioners-prod-germany-over-coronabonds-290836" hreflang="en">European commissioners prod Germany over 'coronabonds'</a>

Among the measures that should be undertaken include the immediate cancellation of $1 trillion worth of developing country debt payments in 2020 and the creation of at least US$1 trillion in new international reserves.

According to it, the economic fallout of the coronavirus risked setting back the fight against poverty by a decade, and as much as 30 years in some regions including Africa and the Middle East.

"G20 Finance Ministers, the IMF and World Bank must give developing countries an immediate cash injection to help them bail out poor and vulnerable communities," said Jose Maria Vera,&nbsp;Oxfam&nbsp;International Interim Executive Director.

Oxfam&nbsp;warned that while many wealthy nations have introduced multi-billion-dollar economic stimulus packages to support business and workers "most developing nations lack the financial firepower to follow suit."

The warning comes right ahead of three key international meetings next week.

&nbsp;

More than half a billion people across the world can be pushed below the poverty line due to the coronavirus pandemic, Oxfam has warned. A report was presented by it before virtual meetings of finance ministers of the G20 group of leading developed and developing nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to give suggestions on how the dire situation can be avoided.

More than half a billion people across the world can be pushed below the poverty line due to the coronavirus pandemic, Oxfam has warned. A report was presented by it before virtual meetings of finance ministers of the G20 group of leading developed and developing nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to give suggestions on how the dire situation can be avoided. Also read: COVID-19 could lead to deepest economic recession of our lifetime: WTO It cited research by the King's College London and Australian National University estimating that 8 per cent of the world's population could be forced into poverty due to the adverse impact of COVID-19. The International aid group on Thursday urged world leaders to agree a comprehensive rescue package to muster some $2.5 trillion needed to prevent this outcome. Also read: European commissioners prod Germany over 'coronabonds' Among the measures that should be undertaken include the immediate cancellation of $1 trillion worth of developing country debt payments in 2020 and the creation of at least US$1 trillion in new international reserves. According to it, the economic fallout of the coronavirus risked setting back the fight against poverty by a decade, and as much as 30 years in some regions including Africa and the Middle East. "G20 Finance Ministers, the IMF and World Bank must give developing countries an immediate cash injection to help them bail out poor and vulnerable communities," said Jose Maria Vera, Oxfam International Interim Executive Director. Oxfam warned that while many wealthy nations have introduced multi-billion-dollar economic stimulus packages to support business and workers "most developing nations lack the financial firepower to follow suit." The warning comes right ahead of three key international meetings next week.

How COVID-19 can push half a billion people into poverty?

With seven new cases, the number of infections in Sri Lanka has spiked to 19. As a precautionary measure, Srilankan airlines have asked passengers to carry their own blankets and headphones.

Coronavirus cases on the rise in South Asia

The #THINKPINK CAMPAIGN: Single mothers turn into taxi drivers to escape poverty.

The #THINKPINK CAMPAIGN in Srilanka

The #THINKPINK CAMPAIGN

These are no ordinary taxis. They're bright pink tuk tuks taxis driven by single mums in Sri Lanka's southern province and they only take fares from women and children.

They are part of a unique scheme in the country that is breaking cultural and gender barriers.

The #ThinkPink campaign is a charity project to beat gender-based poverty, run by the Rosie May Foundation, a British charity. The project provides a sustainable living for poverty-stricken women who have been left without a husband.

With no income and no job, some consider giving up their children and send them to orphanages. But #ThinkPink provides a way out of the poverty trap.

Mary Storrie, founder of the Nottingham-based charity, regularly meets with the women to discuss their progress and help them with business development.

The project also has a savings scheme to help the women pay their bills and plan for the future.

It is a scheme that has changed the life of Nirosha whose husband left her when her daughter was just a baby. Now she has a job she takes pride in.

Dilta is another single mum living in a shack in rural Ambalangoda. She has two children and her parents to support. The tuk-tuk taxis are vital income for them.

In a country where over 90 per cent&nbsp;of women have suffered sexual harassment on public transport, according to the United Nations Population Fund, Dilta, like many of the women, have cornered the market in providing local school runs&nbsp;the #ThinkPink drivers are popular because the mothers know their children will be delivered safely.

The project has been so successful in southern Sri Lanka that it is now expanding to the capital, Colombo, where it is currently recruiting 25 new drivers.

These are no ordinary taxis. They're bright pink tuk tuks taxis driven by single mums in Sri Lanka's southern province and they only take fares from women and children.

These are no ordinary taxis. They're bright pink tuk tuks taxis driven by single mums in Sri Lanka's southern province and they only take fares from women and children. They are part of a unique scheme in the country that is breaking cultural and gender barriers. The #ThinkPink campaign is a charity project to beat gender-based poverty, run by the Rosie May Foundation, a British charity. The project provides a sustainable living for poverty-stricken women who have been left without a husband. With no income and no job, some consider giving up their children and send them to orphanages. But #ThinkPink provides a way out of the poverty trap. Mary Storrie, founder of the Nottingham-based charity, regularly meets with the women to discuss their progress and help them with business development. The project also has a savings scheme to help the women pay their bills and plan for the future. It is a scheme that has changed the life of Nirosha whose husband left her when her daughter was just a baby. Now she has a job she takes pride in. Dilta is another single mum living in a shack in rural Ambalangoda. She has two children and her parents to support. The tuk-tuk taxis are vital income for them. In a country where over 90 per cent of women have suffered sexual harassment on public transport, according to the United Nations Population Fund, Dilta, like many of the women, have cornered the market in providing local school runs the #ThinkPink drivers are popular because the mothers know their children will be delivered safely. The project has been so successful in southern Sri Lanka that it is now expanding to the capital, Colombo, where it is currently recruiting 25 new drivers.

Sri Lankan single mums turn taxi drivers to escape poverty

Chants demanding complete regime change have echoed across Iraq for weeks, but what first brought <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-parties-in-talks-over-new-pm-amid-unrelenting-protests-265759">demonstrators onto the street</a> was the profound&nbsp;poverty&nbsp;of one of the world's most oil-rich countries.

And that is what has kept them there, with protesters brushing off the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi as failing to root out the rampant corruption that denies them jobs and public services.&nbsp;

In the southern protest hotspot of Diwaniyah, one of the poorest agricultural areas in the country, Umm Salah has joined rallies every day outside the provincial council.

"I've suffered in my country, even though it's a rich country," she told AFP, carrying an Iraqi tricolour.&nbsp;

The 57-year-old widow has been protesting every day since October with her seven children, none of whom are employed.

They walk four kilometres&nbsp;to reach the protest camp as they cannot afford a taxi from the worn-down informal shelter where they live.&nbsp;

"My husband died four years ago because we are poor and couldn't afford medical treatment in private clinics or hospitals abroad," Umm Salah says.

Iraq suffers from an extremely dilapidated health care system, with hospitals severely under-equipped and doctors often threatened on the basis of political or tribal disputes.&nbsp;

Watch: At least 10 injured in clashes in Najaf

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A bleak future

Despite Iraq being OPEC's second-largest crude producer, one in five of its people <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-parliament-approves-resignation-of-prime-minister-mahdi-265661">live in&nbsp;poverty</a>&nbsp;and youth unemployment stands at one quarter, the World Bank says.

The government has been the largest employer by far for decades but has recently struggled to provide jobs for a growing number of graduates.

Already, youths make up 60 per cent of the 40 million-strong population, which is set to grow by 10 million more before 2030.

The future looks even bleaker given predictions that heavy crude exports,&nbsp;which fund more than 90 per cent of Iraq's state budget,&nbsp;will become less profitable as the world shifts to other energy sources.

For now, protesters blame the staggering joblessness rates on a patronage system that hands out work based on bribes, family connections or party affiliation instead of merit.

Muhannad Fadel, 30, dreamt of a government post when he graduated years ago with a degree in physical education, but his diploma opened few doors for him.

After a brief stint as a university lecturer, Fadel sought other work but his monthly income didn't rise above $100.

"I started to drive a taxi but I was afraid some of my students would recognise me," he told AFP.&nbsp;

"Then I opened a little confectionary store on the ground floor of our home and I make around 5,000 dinars a day," or just $3, he added.

Scraping together some savings, Fadel could marry but not buy a house, so his new wife moved in with his family.

"Our whole family together earns $150 per month. How is that possible in one of the countries with the most oil in the world?" he said.

For him and many protesters, the root of the&nbsp;problem&nbsp;is a political class more interested in earning money and paying homage to regional backers than in improving Iraqi infrastructure, or people's lives.

"They're corrupt and steal the people's money to give to Iran and other parties," Fadel said bitterly.&nbsp;

Iraq is ranked the 12th most corrupt country in the world by watchdog group Transparency International.

A recent government probe found over $450 billion in public funds were lost to embezzlement, fake contracts or salaries for so-called ghost employees since 2003.&nbsp;

'They stole our oil'

"The deterioration of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-parliament-approves-cabinet-resignation-265571">economic conditions of&nbsp;Iraqis</a>&nbsp;is the main reason for protests, as eight million&nbsp;Iraqis&nbsp;live under the&nbsp;poverty&nbsp;line," said Moussa Khalaf, an economic history professor in Diwaniyah.

A series of flare-ups before the major wave of protests erupted in October had hinted at the conflagration that was to come.

In September, local authorities began demolishing unauthorised houses in the shrine city of Karbala, in Basra in the south and in the central city of Kut.

The settlements are home to three million&nbsp;Iraqis, many of them the poorest of the poor.&nbsp;

That same month, a young man in Kut died after desperately setting himself alight when authorities seized his mobile kiosk.

"You need an economic policy that makes use of resources based on scientific and economic facts, not on privileges or political gains," says Khalaf.

Protesters have clung on in the&nbsp;streets&nbsp;and public squares even days after Abdel Mahdi stepped down.

"Of course that's not enough," one young demonstrator in Baghdad's Tahrir Square told AFP about bringing down the head of government.

"We won't leave our barricades until the regime falls, until we get jobs, water, electricity," he said.

Another protester, 45-year-old Hussein Maneh, slammed the government for its years of failure.

"Since 2003, they've done nothing but increased&nbsp;poverty, destroyed agriculture and industry, impoverished schools and hospitals, created confessionalism, and stole our oil," he fumed.&nbsp;

Chants demanding complete regime change have echoed across Iraq for weeks, but what first brought demonstrators onto the street was the profound poverty of one of the world's most oil-rich countries.

Chants demanding complete regime change have echoed across Iraq for weeks, but what first brought demonstrators onto the street was the profound poverty of one of the world's most oil-rich countries. And that is what has kept them there, with protesters brushing off the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi as failing to root out the rampant corruption that denies them jobs and public services. In the southern protest hotspot of Diwaniyah, one of the poorest agricultural areas in the country, Umm Salah has joined rallies every day outside the provincial council. "I've suffered in my country, even though it's a rich country," she told AFP, carrying an Iraqi tricolour. The 57-year-old widow has been protesting every day since October with her seven children, none of whom are employed. They walk four kilometres to reach the protest camp as they cannot afford a taxi from the worn-down informal shelter where they live. "My husband died four years ago because we are poor and couldn't afford medical treatment in private clinics or hospitals abroad," Umm Salah says. Iraq suffers from an extremely dilapidated health care system, with hospitals severely under-equipped and doctors often threatened on the basis of political or tribal disputes. Watch: At least 10 injured in clashes in Najaf A bleak future Despite Iraq being OPEC's second-largest crude producer, one in five of its people live in poverty and youth unemployment stands at one quarter, the World Bank says. The government has been the largest employer by far for decades but has recently struggled to provide jobs for a growing number of graduates. Already, youths make up 60 per cent of the 40 million-strong population, which is set to grow by 10 million more before 2030. The future looks even bleaker given predictions that heavy crude exports, which fund more than 90 per cent of Iraq's state budget, will become less profitable as the world shifts to other energy sources. For now, protesters blame the staggering joblessness rates on a patronage system that hands out work based on bribes, family connections or party affiliation instead of merit. Muhannad Fadel, 30, dreamt of a government post when he graduated years ago with a degree in physical education, but his diploma opened few doors for him. After a brief stint as a university lecturer, Fadel sought other work but his monthly income didn't rise above $100. "I started to drive a taxi but I was afraid some of my students would recognise me," he told AFP. "Then I opened a little confectionary store on the ground floor of our home and I make around 5,000 dinars a day," or just $3, he added. Scraping together some savings, Fadel could marry but not buy a house, so his new wife moved in with his family. "Our whole family together earns $150 per month. How is that possible in one of the countries with the most oil in the world?" he said. For him and many protesters, the root of the problem is a political class more interested in earning money and paying homage to regional backers than in improving Iraqi infrastructure, or people's lives. "They're corrupt and steal the people's money to give to Iran and other parties," Fadel said bitterly. Iraq is ranked the 12th most corrupt country in the world by watchdog group Transparency International. A recent government probe found over $450 billion in public funds were lost to embezzlement, fake contracts or salaries for so-called ghost employees since 2003. 'They stole our oil' "The deterioration of the economic conditions of Iraqis is the main reason for protests, as eight million Iraqis live under the poverty line," said Moussa Khalaf, an economic history professor in Diwaniyah. A series of flare-ups before the major wave of protests erupted in October had hinted at the conflagration that was to come. In September, local authorities began demolishing unauthorised houses in the shrine city of Karbala, in Basra in the south and in the central city of Kut. The settlements are home to three million Iraqis, many of them the poorest of the poor. That same month, a young man in Kut died after desperately setting himself alight when authorities seized his mobile kiosk. "You need an economic policy that makes use of resources based on scientific and economic facts, not on privileges or political gains," says Khalaf. Protesters have clung on in the streets and public squares even days after Abdel Mahdi stepped down. "Of course that's not enough," one young demonstrator in Baghdad's Tahrir Square told AFP about bringing down the head of government. "We won't leave our barricades until the regime falls, until we get jobs, water, electricity," he said. Another protester, 45-year-old Hussein Maneh, slammed the government for its years of failure. "Since 2003, they've done nothing but increased poverty, destroyed agriculture and industry, impoverished schools and hospitals, created confessionalism, and stole our oil," he fumed.

Iraq: Protests still ongoing, people say poverty is problem

Despite producing more food than it can consume, humanity risks a menacing mix of "food crises" brought on by social inequalities, environmental degradation, climate change and wars, a UN report warned Friday.

After decades of steady decline, the number of people who suffer from hunger worldwide has been slowly increasing since 2015, said the report by the UN's Food and Agriculture (FAO) Organization, the European Commission and France's CIRAD agricultural research centre.

Last year, more than 820 million people went hungry.

A key obstacle is an unequal access: while some people throw away food they buy too much of, others cannot afford or find the nutrition they need, said the report entitled "Food Systems at Risk."

"The available food on the planet amounts to just under 3,000 kilocalories per person per day, while the nutritional needs of the population is estimated at about 2,200 kilocalories," said Sandrine Dury, an economist involved in the research.

There was also the question of quality, with too many people relying on calories from fat and sugar which are poor in vitamins and minerals.

People increasingly "suffer from obesity and dietary deficiencies at the same time", Dury said.

The report, presented to the FAO in Rome, warned that the problem of poor nutrition "will only get worse if current trends are not reversed."

The risks are many and multiplying.

The global population will expand from 7.7 billion in 2019 to 8.5 billion in 2030, mostly in already hungry Africa and Asia, piling pressure on limited available resources.

Urban populations will grow by 50 per cent by 2030, while rural ones by more than 20 per cent in some countries.

'Unsteady' food systems

Migration fuelled by conflicts and natural disasters, in turn worsened by global warming, will further exacerbate the situation, the report said.

"In general, food systems which are unsteady due to low food production capacities, low resilience, high pressure on resources and political insecurity generate more migrations and displacements," it said.

As more and more people are lifted out of poverty, there has been a higher demand for animal food products, the report noted.

This, in turn, has contributed to deforestation to make way for farms growing animals and their feed.&nbsp;

In a vicious cycle, shrinking forests mean fewer trees to absorb planet-warming carbon dioxide, accelerating climate change.

"The projected growing impact of global warming will certainly increase disaster-related displacements and potentially fuel social unrest and conflicts as populations migrate in the search for new land, water and food," the report said.

Despite producing more food than it can consume, humanity risks a menacing mix of "food crises" brought on by social inequalities, environmental degradation, climate change and wars, a UN report warned Friday.

Despite producing more food than it can consume, humanity risks a menacing mix of "food crises" brought on by social inequalities, environmental degradation, climate change and wars, a UN report warned Friday. After decades of steady decline, the number of people who suffer from hunger worldwide has been slowly increasing since 2015, said the report by the UN's Food and Agriculture (FAO) Organization, the European Commission and France's CIRAD agricultural research centre. Last year, more than 820 million people went hungry. A key obstacle is an unequal access: while some people throw away food they buy too much of, others cannot afford or find the nutrition they need, said the report entitled "Food Systems at Risk." "The available food on the planet amounts to just under 3,000 kilocalories per person per day, while the nutritional needs of the population is estimated at about 2,200 kilocalories," said Sandrine Dury, an economist involved in the research. There was also the question of quality, with too many people relying on calories from fat and sugar which are poor in vitamins and minerals. People increasingly "suffer from obesity and dietary deficiencies at the same time", Dury said. The report, presented to the FAO in Rome, warned that the problem of poor nutrition "will only get worse if current trends are not reversed." The risks are many and multiplying. The global population will expand from 7.7 billion in 2019 to 8.5 billion in 2030, mostly in already hungry Africa and Asia, piling pressure on limited available resources. Urban populations will grow by 50 per cent by 2030, while rural ones by more than 20 per cent in some countries. 'Unsteady' food systems Migration fuelled by conflicts and natural disasters, in turn worsened by global warming, will further exacerbate the situation, the report said. "In general, food systems which are unsteady due to low food production capacities, low resilience, high pressure on resources and political insecurity generate more migrations and displacements," it said. As more and more people are lifted out of poverty, there has been a higher demand for animal food products, the report noted. This, in turn, has contributed to deforestation to make way for farms growing animals and their feed. In a vicious cycle, shrinking forests mean fewer trees to absorb planet-warming carbon dioxide, accelerating climate change. "The projected growing impact of global warming will certainly increase disaster-related displacements and potentially fuel social unrest and conflicts as populations migrate in the search for new land, water and food," the report said.

Despite having enough food, humanity risks hunger 'crises': Report

Christmas may still be a long way off, but Frankeiber Hernandez can barely wait for his parents to return from Peru in December.&nbsp;

They are among 3.6 million migrants who have fled Venezuela's economic meltdown since 2016, according to the UN. And he is one of the thousands of kids left behind -- growing up back home without parents.

Frankeiber was 16 when his mother left for Peru to earn money for the family. His father joined her the following year.

Since they've been gone, birthdays and other family occasions often end in tears.

"It's always very bad," says Frankeiber, now 18.

"Sometimes, I get depressed, but I keep hoping that they come back."

One in four Venezuelan migrants leaves at least one child behind, amid acute shortages of basic foods and medicines, according to NGO Cecodap.

"About 846,000 children could be in this situation," Cecodap director Abel Saraiba told AFP.

Raised on remittances

Grandmother Estelita is raising the teenager and his brother Fraiber, eight, with her husband in the rundown western Caracas suburb of Catia.&nbsp;

They survive on the dollars that the couple send back from Peru, where they work in a restaurant.

The dollar acts as a shield against crippling hyperinflation. Remittances from Venezuelans living abroad were worth around $3 billion over the past year, according to analysts Econanalitica.

Estelita, 58, says she is thankful to her daughter for the money, "but I'd rather have her here because she keeps telling me 'I'm losing my son's love.'"&nbsp;

Over time, Fraiber's conversations with his mother have diminished, and he's spending more and more time with his video games.

Children growing up without parents in the home experience irritability, depression and anger, says Saraiba.

'Miss you Mama'

There's Xavier, an 11-year-old who cries every night since his mother left a year ago, says his grandmother, Carmen Lugo.&nbsp;

"Mama I miss you," he writes in letters that he never sends.

Lugo has taken care of Xavier -- along with his two brothers and a cousin -- since her two daughters left for Madrid.

Lugo cooks and cleans for her grandchildren, and takes them to school every morning. At night, they sleep in the same bed because there's no other space.

The brutal force of Venezuela's meltdown is creating "transnational families" whose only links are WhatsApp conversations and remittances, says sociologist Claudia Vargas.

Child psychologists warn parents to avoid traumatising their children by promising them a hypothetical return that may never materialize.

Andreina, 15, has come to accept that she is not about to see her father come back from Costa Rica anytime soon.

She lives hoping to join her mother on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao, just north of Venezuela.

"I would really like her to leave, not because she's a burden, but for her own wellbeing," says her grandmother Minu, her guardian for the past three years.

But it's not clear whether Andreina would be able to leave. Venezuelan law prohibits minors from travelling without at least one parent.

"I would be happy if I was with my mom. But I would be so sad because it would mean leaving my grandmother," says Andreina, who adds that her 64-year-old grandmother has become her "best friend."

Christmas may still be a long way off, but Frankeiber Hernandez can barely wait for his parents to return from Peru in December. They are among 3.6 million migrants who have fled Venezuela's economic meltdown since 2016, according to the UN.

Christmas may still be a long way off, but Frankeiber Hernandez can barely wait for his parents to return from Peru in December. They are among 3.6 million migrants who have fled Venezuela's economic meltdown since 2016, according to the UN. And he is one of the thousands of kids left behind -- growing up back home without parents. Frankeiber was 16 when his mother left for Peru to earn money for the family. His father joined her the following year. Since they've been gone, birthdays and other family occasions often end in tears. "It's always very bad," says Frankeiber, now 18. "Sometimes, I get depressed, but I keep hoping that they come back." One in four Venezuelan migrants leaves at least one child behind, amid acute shortages of basic foods and medicines, according to NGO Cecodap. "About 846,000 children could be in this situation," Cecodap director Abel Saraiba told AFP. Raised on remittances Grandmother Estelita is raising the teenager and his brother Fraiber, eight, with her husband in the rundown western Caracas suburb of Catia. They survive on the dollars that the couple send back from Peru, where they work in a restaurant. The dollar acts as a shield against crippling hyperinflation. Remittances from Venezuelans living abroad were worth around $3 billion over the past year, according to analysts Econanalitica. Estelita, 58, says she is thankful to her daughter for the money, "but I'd rather have her here because she keeps telling me 'I'm losing my son's love.'" Over time, Fraiber's conversations with his mother have diminished, and he's spending more and more time with his video games. Children growing up without parents in the home experience irritability, depression and anger, says Saraiba. 'Miss you Mama' There's Xavier, an 11-year-old who cries every night since his mother left a year ago, says his grandmother, Carmen Lugo. "Mama I miss you," he writes in letters that he never sends. Lugo has taken care of Xavier -- along with his two brothers and a cousin -- since her two daughters left for Madrid. Lugo cooks and cleans for her grandchildren, and takes them to school every morning. At night, they sleep in the same bed because there's no other space. The brutal force of Venezuela's meltdown is creating "transnational families" whose only links are WhatsApp conversations and remittances, says sociologist Claudia Vargas. Child psychologists warn parents to avoid traumatising their children by promising them a hypothetical return that may never materialize. Andreina, 15, has come to accept that she is not about to see her father come back from Costa Rica anytime soon. She lives hoping to join her mother on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao, just north of Venezuela. "I would really like her to leave, not because she's a burden, but for her own wellbeing," says her grandmother Minu, her guardian for the past three years. But it's not clear whether Andreina would be able to leave. Venezuelan law prohibits minors from travelling without at least one parent. "I would be happy if I was with my mom. But I would be so sad because it would mean leaving my grandmother," says Andreina, who adds that her 64-year-old grandmother has become her "best friend."

Left behind: Venezuela's kids growing up without parents

Around 55 per cent or 305 million of the world`s children living in poverty (on less than 1.90 dollars per day) will be in Africa by 2030, claimed an August 2019 report by British think tank Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

The researchers believe that the ratio will be thrice of what it was in the year 2000.&nbsp;

Last year, the number was 43 per cent because of which the United Nations (UN) mandated sustainable development goal (SDG) No.1 to combat poverty.

The UN has also listed a number of causes for child poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and its nearby regions: 
- Inadequate access to clean water 
- Insufficient and unequally distributed economic growth 
- Low-income levels 
- A high-level UN forum on sustainable development is slated in the last week of September. 
- Insufficient and unequally distributed economic growth despite child poverty being a persistent problem in Africa, few governments on the continent have identified it as a primary policy concern, the ODI report underscored.&nbsp;

In most cases, specific issues of poverty among children were subsumed within overall poverty reduction strategies, the report added.

The ODI report further stated that due to child poverty at least four other SDGs will not be fulfilled - gender quality, education, child survival and nutrition.&nbsp;

For example, out of 115 million children who are likely to face the prospect of stunting in 2030, 61 million would be likely to be the residents of sub-Saharan Africa.

The organisation also stated that by 2030, 7.4 million children in sub-Saharan Africa will drop out of primary schools, and 14.3 million of secondary schools.

In order to combat the menace of poverty in children, the report suggests that providing decent-quality basic services such as health, nutrition, clean water and sanitation and redistributive public finance to support these investments is the need of the hour.&nbsp;

Around 55 per cent or 305 million of the world`s children living in poverty (on less than 1.90 dollars per day) will be in Africa by 2030, claimed an August 2019 report by British think tank Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

Around 55 per cent or 305 million of the world`s children living in poverty (on less than 1.90 dollars per day) will be in Africa by 2030, claimed an August 2019 report by British think tank Overseas Development Institute (ODI). The researchers believe that the ratio will be thrice of what it was in the year 2000. Last year, the number was 43 per cent because of which the United Nations (UN) mandated sustainable development goal (SDG) No.1 to combat poverty. The UN has also listed a number of causes for child poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and its nearby regions: - Inadequate access to clean water - Insufficient and unequally distributed economic growth - Low-income levels - A high-level UN forum on sustainable development is slated in the last week of September. - Insufficient and unequally distributed economic growth despite child poverty being a persistent problem in Africa, few governments on the continent have identified it as a primary policy concern, the ODI report underscored. In most cases, specific issues of poverty among children were subsumed within overall poverty reduction strategies, the report added. The ODI report further stated that due to child poverty at least four other SDGs will not be fulfilled - gender quality, education, child survival and nutrition. For example, out of 115 million children who are likely to face the prospect of stunting in 2030, 61 million would be likely to be the residents of sub-Saharan Africa. The organisation also stated that by 2030, 7.4 million children in sub-Saharan Africa will drop out of primary schools, and 14.3 million of secondary schools. In order to combat the menace of poverty in children, the report suggests that providing decent-quality basic services such as health, nutrition, clean water and sanitation and redistributive public finance to support these investments is the need of the hour.

305 million African children will be living in acute poverty by 2030: Report

A UN&nbsp;human rights expert on Friday disputed Malaysia's assertion that it has nearly eliminated poverty, saying that official figures were vastly inaccurate and do not reflect realities on the ground.

Malaysia's official poverty rate dropped from 49% in 1970 to just 0.4% in 2016.

But Philip Alston, UN&nbsp;special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the official numbers relied on outdated measures, with the poverty line remaining at the same level for decades despite increasingly high costs of living.

Analyses done by independent groups suggest that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/malaysia-set-to-begin-biggest-1mdb-trial-involving-ex-pm-najib-razak-243353">Malaysia</a> has "significant poverty" and that its true poverty rate was about 15%, Alston said.

"The government's official figures would make it the world champion in eliminating poverty ... but I think it's pretty obvious that that's not the case," Alston told a news conference at the end of an 11-day visit to Malaysia.

The prime minister's office and finance ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Alston's assertion.

Alston said the national poverty line of 980 ringgit ($234.00) per household per month was "ridiculous", as it would mean an urban family of four would have to survive on 8 ringgit, or less than $2, per person per day.

"It can't be done except under really dire circumstances," he said.

Undercounting the poverty rate has led to a lack of effective government policies targeting the problem, with too many underfunded and ineffective programmes in place, Alston said.

He urged <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/controversial-preacher-zakir-naik-banned-from-giving-speeches-in-malaysia-source-244281">Malaysia </a>to reassess its methods for measuring poverty and take into account vulnerable groups excluded from the data such as stateless families, migrant workers, and refugees.

"Only then can Malaysia begin devising policies that can systematically address their needs," he said.

A UN human rights expert on Friday disputed Malaysia's assertion that it has nearly eliminated poverty, saying that official figures were vastly inaccurate and do not reflect realities on the ground.

A UN human rights expert on Friday disputed Malaysia's assertion that it has nearly eliminated poverty, saying that official figures were vastly inaccurate and do not reflect realities on the ground. Malaysia's official poverty rate dropped from 49% in 1970 to just 0.4% in 2016. But Philip Alston, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the official numbers relied on outdated measures, with the poverty line remaining at the same level for decades despite increasingly high costs of living. Analyses done by independent groups suggest that Malaysia has "significant poverty" and that its true poverty rate was about 15%, Alston said. "The government's official figures would make it the world champion in eliminating poverty ... but I think it's pretty obvious that that's not the case," Alston told a news conference at the end of an 11-day visit to Malaysia. The prime minister's office and finance ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Alston's assertion. Alston said the national poverty line of 980 ringgit ($234.00) per household per month was "ridiculous", as it would mean an urban family of four would have to survive on 8 ringgit, or less than $2, per person per day. "It can't be done except under really dire circumstances," he said. Undercounting the poverty rate has led to a lack of effective government policies targeting the problem, with too many underfunded and ineffective programmes in place, Alston said. He urged Malaysia to reassess its methods for measuring poverty and take into account vulnerable groups excluded from the data such as stateless families, migrant workers, and refugees. "Only then can Malaysia begin devising policies that can systematically address their needs," he said.

Malaysia's poverty levels far higher than reported: UN expert

China has continued its poverty reduction efforts in its quest to become a more prosperous society, lifting over 82.39 million rural poor out of poverty over the past six years as the government implements targeted poverty alleviation programs in the areas most in need of help

China's targeted poverty alleviation program turns villagers' lives around

The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu Tuesday promised a slew of measures in its election manifesto, including a national poverty eradication initiative that will be named after the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

Releasing the manifesto for the general election at a press conference here, AIADMK coordinator and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said the party would "vigorously pursue" the Amma National Poverty Eradication Initiative (ANPEI).

"Based on the experience already gained by the AIADMK government in this regard, a direct transfer of Rs 1,500 per month to the targeted population of the poor and deprived (people below poverty line, destitute women, widows without income, differently-abled, landless agricultural labourers, rural and urban manual labourers, destitute senior citizens etc) should not be difficult to implement," the party said.

Jayalalithaa is addressed as 'Amma' (mother) by her supporters and the ruling AIADMK has been implementing welfare measures under the brand Amma initiative, including the popular Amma subsidised canteens.

Panneerselvam, flanked by party co-coordinator and Chief Minister K Palaniswami, along with senior leaders and ministers, read out the salient features of the manifesto.

Reiterating the party's stand, Panneerselvam said AIADMK would press for the release of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/2019-lok-sabha-polls-aiadmk-dmk-say-will-urge-centre-to-release-7-convicted-in-rajiv-gandhi-assassination-204248">seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case</a> and strive for the scrapping of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test for medical admissions.

"AIADMK will urge the Government of India and the president to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for the release of seven Tamil convicts as ordered by the Supreme Court and approved by the cabinet of Tamil Nadu government," he said.

In September 2018, the cabinet had recommended to Governor Banwarilal Purohit the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, all serving life in prison for their involvement in the killing of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally here in 1991 by an LTTE suicide bomber.

On the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, AIADMK said it would press the Centre to take up the issue of "massacre" of civilian Tamils in the island republic during the peak of hostilities, with the International Criminal Court at the Hague.

Further, the party would urge the Centre to implement river interlinking programmes like the Cauvery-Godaveri linking project.

The manifesto said AIADMK would urge the Centre to waive education loans of students and also urge the government to come up with a firm policy to waive the loans obtained by small and medium farmers in the country.

It would urge the Centre to move education from the Concurrent List to the State List.

It said it would also urge the Centre to accept the Justice Sachar Committee recommendation to treat the converted SCs/STs, BCs and MBCs (to both Islam and Christianity) as "regular SC/ST/BC/MBC and provide them with all concessions now provided" for them.

The party said it would urge the Union government to implement Tamil as one of the official languages of the country and also impress upon it to declare Cauvery delta region a protected agriculture zone.

Panneerselvam said his party would urge the Centre to accord full statehood to the Union Territory of Puducherry to fulfil the aspirations of people.

Stressing that there is a need to skill the youth, the party said it would pursue with the Centre to institutionalise an arrangement similar to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority of the Philippines.

On the pricing of petroleum products, AIADMK said it would urge the Centre to take away the price-fixing power from the consortium of oil companies and take it upon itself and evolve a people friendly policy so that prices of commodities come under control.

"Frequent increase in prices of petroleum products by oil marketing companies have been augmenting the cost of all essential commodities, consumer goods and transport cost to all commuters, increasing the cost of living of consumers," it said.

On FDI, the party said it would urge the Union government to give up the policy of allowing foreign direct investment in retail to protect small and tiny retailers, reflecting Jayalalithaa's firm stand on this subject.

Its other promises included urging the Centre to establish a national commission for the welfare of fishermen.

AIADMK is leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The NDA constituents in Tamil Nadu are BJP, DMDK, PMK, TMC, Puthiya Neethi Katchi and Puthiya Tamizhagam while former Puducherry chief minister N Rangasamy-led All India NR Congress is the party's ally in the neighbouring union territory.

Polls to 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry are scheduled on April 18.

The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu Tuesday promised a slew of measures in its election manifesto, including a national poverty eradication initiative that will be named after the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu Tuesday promised a slew of measures in its election manifesto, including a national poverty eradication initiative that will be named after the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Releasing the manifesto for the general election at a press conference here, AIADMK coordinator and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said the party would "vigorously pursue" the Amma National Poverty Eradication Initiative (ANPEI). "Based on the experience already gained by the AIADMK government in this regard, a direct transfer of Rs 1,500 per month to the targeted population of the poor and deprived (people below poverty line, destitute women, widows without income, differently-abled, landless agricultural labourers, rural and urban manual labourers, destitute senior citizens etc) should not be difficult to implement," the party said. Jayalalithaa is addressed as 'Amma' (mother) by her supporters and the ruling AIADMK has been implementing welfare measures under the brand Amma initiative, including the popular Amma subsidised canteens. Panneerselvam, flanked by party co-coordinator and Chief Minister K Palaniswami, along with senior leaders and ministers, read out the salient features of the manifesto. Reiterating the party's stand, Panneerselvam said AIADMK would press for the release of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and strive for the scrapping of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test for medical admissions. "AIADMK will urge the Government of India and the president to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for the release of seven Tamil convicts as ordered by the Supreme Court and approved by the cabinet of Tamil Nadu government," he said. In September 2018, the cabinet had recommended to Governor Banwarilal Purohit the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, all serving life in prison for their involvement in the killing of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally here in 1991 by an LTTE suicide bomber. On the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, AIADMK said it would press the Centre to take up the issue of "massacre" of civilian Tamils in the island republic during the peak of hostilities, with the International Criminal Court at the Hague. Further, the party would urge the Centre to implement river interlinking programmes like the Cauvery-Godaveri linking project. The manifesto said AIADMK would urge the Centre to waive education loans of students and also urge the government to come up with a firm policy to waive the loans obtained by small and medium farmers in the country. It would urge the Centre to move education from the Concurrent List to the State List. It said it would also urge the Centre to accept the Justice Sachar Committee recommendation to treat the converted SCs/STs, BCs and MBCs (to both Islam and Christianity) as "regular SC/ST/BC/MBC and provide them with all concessions now provided" for them. The party said it would urge the Union government to implement Tamil as one of the official languages of the country and also impress upon it to declare Cauvery delta region a protected agriculture zone. Panneerselvam said his party would urge the Centre to accord full statehood to the Union Territory of Puducherry to fulfil the aspirations of people. Stressing that there is a need to skill the youth, the party said it would pursue with the Centre to institutionalise an arrangement similar to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority of the Philippines. On the pricing of petroleum products, AIADMK said it would urge the Centre to take away the price-fixing power from the consortium of oil companies and take it upon itself and evolve a people friendly policy so that prices of commodities come under control. "Frequent increase in prices of petroleum products by oil marketing companies have been augmenting the cost of all essential commodities, consumer goods and transport cost to all commuters, increasing the cost of living of consumers," it said. On FDI, the party said it would urge the Union government to give up the policy of allowing foreign direct investment in retail to protect small and tiny retailers, reflecting Jayalalithaa's firm stand on this subject. Its other promises included urging the Centre to establish a national commission for the welfare of fishermen. AIADMK is leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The NDA constituents in Tamil Nadu are BJP, DMDK, PMK, TMC, Puthiya Neethi Katchi and Puthiya Tamizhagam while former Puducherry chief minister N Rangasamy-led All India NR Congress is the party's ally in the neighbouring union territory. Polls to 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry are scheduled on April 18.

Lok Sabha polls: AIADMK manifesto promises national poverty eradication scheme

A United Nations report, on Wednesday, revealed that around 43 per cent of North Korea's population is "food insecure", with one out of five children facing "chronic malnutrition".

"The country is critically dependent on agriculture for its food security, which has been severely affected over the past six years by natural disasters, such as floods and drought, which erode farmers'&nbsp;coping capacities," the UN report highlighted, outlining natural disasters to be one of the main reasons behind the hunger crisis.

The report further outlines that humanitarian assistance to the tune of US $10 million would be required by the United Nations to extend aid to around 5,13,000 North Koreans who are believed to be in dire need.

Meanwhile, Russia is considering shipping 50,000 tonnes of wheat as assistance to Pyongyang on the latter's request, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Moscow has previously been providing aid to North Korea, and if the plan for the latest aid is seen through, Russia's commitment of US $8 million under the World Food Programme "will be fulfilled in full".

The UN report has also mentioned that the food shortage will get worse going forward, due to a shortage of arable land and lack of access to modern-day farming equipment.

Furthermore, humanitarian assistance to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is being hampered by sanctions against the nation.

Pyongyang has repeatedly asked for relief in sanctions in exchange for the denuclearisation steps which have been taken by the nation.

However, the United States has reinforced that sanctions will be in place until complete denuclearisation is not achieved - a stand which directly affects the food insecurity situation.

Leaders from North Korea and USA, setting their differences aside, are slated to hold the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27 and 28 to further the denuclearisation process.

The first preparatory meeting for the summit has already been held between Washington and Pyongyang last week in the North Korean capital, while the second round will be held next week, according to the South Korean Presidential office.

A United Nations report, on Wednesday, revealed that around 43 per cent of North Korea's population is "food insecure", with one out of five children facing "chronic malnutrition".

A United Nations report, on Wednesday, revealed that around 43 per cent of North Korea's population is "food insecure", with one out of five children facing "chronic malnutrition". "The country is critically dependent on agriculture for its food security, which has been severely affected over the past six years by natural disasters, such as floods and drought, which erode farmers' coping capacities," the UN report highlighted, outlining natural disasters to be one of the main reasons behind the hunger crisis. The report further outlines that humanitarian assistance to the tune of US $10 million would be required by the United Nations to extend aid to around 5,13,000 North Koreans who are believed to be in dire need. Meanwhile, Russia is considering shipping 50,000 tonnes of wheat as assistance to Pyongyang on the latter's request, reports Yonhap News Agency. Moscow has previously been providing aid to North Korea, and if the plan for the latest aid is seen through, Russia's commitment of US $8 million under the World Food Programme "will be fulfilled in full". The UN report has also mentioned that the food shortage will get worse going forward, due to a shortage of arable land and lack of access to modern-day farming equipment. Furthermore, humanitarian assistance to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is being hampered by sanctions against the nation. Pyongyang has repeatedly asked for relief in sanctions in exchange for the denuclearisation steps which have been taken by the nation. However, the United States has reinforced that sanctions will be in place until complete denuclearisation is not achieved - a stand which directly affects the food insecurity situation. Leaders from North Korea and USA, setting their differences aside, are slated to hold the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27 and 28 to further the denuclearisation process. The first preparatory meeting for the summit has already been held between Washington and Pyongyang last week in the North Korean capital, while the second round will be held next week, according to the South Korean Presidential office.

43% of North Korea's population is food insecure: United Nations

The Universal Basic Income is simply a basic income. It is a program in which country's citizens or permanent residents receive a regular sum of money from a government source. UBI can be implemented nationally, regionally or locally.

In UBI a basic sum of money is provided to individuals regardless of their income, resources or employment status with a purpose to reduce poverty and increase equality among citizens.

The essential principle behind basic income is the idea that all citizens of the country are entitled to a livable income, whether or not they contribute to production and despite the particular circumstances into which they are born.

After the surprising defeat in the recent five state assembly elections, there are speculations that the Narendra Modi led government may hold a discussion on the implementation of UBI scheme, something which may turn out to be a game changer for the prime minister in upcoming general elections.

Meanwhile, experts are also seeing UBI as a more efficient medium of help to a large number of people, especially farmers than one-time universal loan waiver.

In UBI a basic sum of money is provided to individuals regardless of their income, resources or employment status with a purpose to reduce poverty and increase equality among citizens.

The Universal Basic Income is simply a basic income. It is a program in which country's citizens or permanent residents receive a regular sum of money from a government source. UBI can be implemented nationally, regionally or locally. In UBI a basic sum of money is provided to individuals regardless of their income, resources or employment status with a purpose to reduce poverty and increase equality among citizens. The essential principle behind basic income is the idea that all citizens of the country are entitled to a livable income, whether or not they contribute to production and despite the particular circumstances into which they are born. After the surprising defeat in the recent five state assembly elections, there are speculations that the Narendra Modi led government may hold a discussion on the implementation of UBI scheme, something which may turn out to be a game changer for the prime minister in upcoming general elections. Meanwhile, experts are also seeing UBI as a more efficient medium of help to a large number of people, especially farmers than one-time universal loan waiver.

What is Universal basic Income and why it is in news?

This decade has seen massive movements of people fleeing war, poverty and persecution. Here are some key cases.

Since 2011: Syria&nbsp;

The Syrian war has killed more than 360,000 people since it began in March 2011 and it has led to a massive exodus of people, mostly to camps in neighbouring countries.

More than half the country's 23 million population has fled, with 6.6 million of those internally displaced and more than 5.6 million going abroad.

Turkey took in the biggest number, with the UN refugee agency UNHCR registering more than 3.6 million there, followed by Lebanon with less than a million (Beirut says it is 1.5 million) and Jordan with 673,000 (1.3 million according to Amman).&nbsp;

Hundreds of thousands of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-lights-candle-for-children-of-syria-180981"> Syrians</a> have also fled to Europe, and most notably to Germany.

2013-2018: South Sudan 

Independent since 2011, South Sudan became mired in civil war in 2013 that lasted five years and left more than 380,000 people dead and forced some 4.2 million people&nbsp;a third of the population to flee.

The UNHCR says nearly 2.2 million have left the country and are now spread across neighbouring countries in Uganda (785,000), Sudan (764,000) and Ethiopia (422,000).&nbsp;

2015: Mediterranean 

The massive and regular arrival of migrants via the Mediterranean and into Europe over recent years has provoked a major crisis in the bloc with some member countries adopting particularly tough new measures.&nbsp;

After a peak in 2015 of more than one million migrants landing on Europe's shores from the Mediterranean, the numbers have dropped to more than 362,000 in 2016, 172,000 in 2017 and 132,000 since the start of 2018.

Of those who have arrived in 2018, 108,400 have reached Europe by the sea, according to the International Organization for Migration. Some 2,130 died making the journey.

There have been some flashpoints, including the controversy over the 629 migrants aboard the Aquarius rescue ship stranded in the Mediterranean after Italy and Malta refused to let it dock.

Policy on migration has been one of the major points of friction between countries in the bloc.

Since 2015: Venezuela&nbsp;

The United Nations says some three million Venezuelans are now living abroad, 2.3 million of whom have moved since 2015, fleeing the country's severe economic, political and social crisis.&nbsp;

Neighbouring Colombia, which shares a border of 2,200 kilometres (1,367 miles) with<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mattis-condemns-venezuelas-maduro-as-a-despot-who-has-to-go-180957"> Venezuela,</a> has taken in the most, around one million, followed by Peru (at least 550,000) and Ecuador, with around 300,000.

The exodus of the Venezuelans is, according to the UNHCR the most massive displacement of people in recent Latin American history.

2018: Honduras&nbsp;

A caravan of thousands of migrants mostly from Honduras left the Central American country to escape violence and poverty and by mid-November, they had reached the US border.&nbsp;

Other caravans coming from Central America joined them and other migrants travelled by foot and hitchhiked to cover the thousands of miles in the hope of being granted the status of refugee in the US.

Some 6,000 people gathered in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/migrants-at-us-border-say-they-will-cross-over-despite-trump-stance-179282">Mexican city of Tijuana </a>but were unable to cross the border after US President Donald Trump deployed thousands of soldiers who forced a number of migrants to turn back.

This decade has seen massive movements of people fleeing war, poverty and persecution. Here are some key cases. Since 2011: Syria The Syrian war has killed more than 360,000 people since it began in March 2011 and it has led to a massive exodus of people, mostly to camps in neighbouring countries.

This decade has seen massive movements of people fleeing war, poverty and persecution. Here are some key cases. Since 2011: Syria The Syrian war has killed more than 360,000 people since it began in March 2011 and it has led to a massive exodus of people, mostly to camps in neighbouring countries. More than half the country's 23 million population has fled, with 6.6 million of those internally displaced and more than 5.6 million going abroad. Turkey took in the biggest number, with the UN refugee agency UNHCR registering more than 3.6 million there, followed by Lebanon with less than a million (Beirut says it is 1.5 million) and Jordan with 673,000 (1.3 million according to Amman). Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have also fled to Europe, and most notably to Germany. 2013-2018: South Sudan Independent since 2011, South Sudan became mired in civil war in 2013 that lasted five years and left more than 380,000 people dead and forced some 4.2 million people a third of the population to flee. The UNHCR says nearly 2.2 million have left the country and are now spread across neighbouring countries in Uganda (785,000), Sudan (764,000) and Ethiopia (422,000). 2015: Mediterranean The massive and regular arrival of migrants via the Mediterranean and into Europe over recent years has provoked a major crisis in the bloc with some member countries adopting particularly tough new measures. After a peak in 2015 of more than one million migrants landing on Europe's shores from the Mediterranean, the numbers have dropped to more than 362,000 in 2016, 172,000 in 2017 and 132,000 since the start of 2018. Of those who have arrived in 2018, 108,400 have reached Europe by the sea, according to the International Organization for Migration. Some 2,130 died making the journey. There have been some flashpoints, including the controversy over the 629 migrants aboard the Aquarius rescue ship stranded in the Mediterranean after Italy and Malta refused to let it dock. Policy on migration has been one of the major points of friction between countries in the bloc. Since 2015: Venezuela The United Nations says some three million Venezuelans are now living abroad, 2.3 million of whom have moved since 2015, fleeing the country's severe economic, political and social crisis. Neighbouring Colombia, which shares a border of 2,200 kilometres (1,367 miles) with Venezuela, has taken in the most, around one million, followed by Peru (at least 550,000) and Ecuador, with around 300,000. The exodus of the Venezuelans is, according to the UNHCR the most massive displacement of people in recent Latin American history. 2018: Honduras A caravan of thousands of migrants mostly from Honduras left the Central American country to escape violence and poverty and by mid-November, they had reached the US border. Other caravans coming from Central America joined them and other migrants travelled by foot and hitchhiked to cover the thousands of miles in the hope of being granted the status of refugee in the US. Some 6,000 people gathered in the Mexican city of Tijuana but were unable to cross the border after US President Donald Trump deployed thousands of soldiers who forced a number of migrants to turn back.

Major migration flows in the last decade

By Deirdre McCann 
 
The visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in the UK is crystallising an unease about the state of working life. Work is fundamental to combating poverty. Yet, despite the employment rate remaining high, the UK is experiencing a worrying increase in the number of people who are in work but still in poverty, due to the growth of types of work that are unacceptable over the last decade.

The law plays an important role here. It can either sustain or discourage low-wage and insecure jobs. Ongoing litigation over the rights of Uber drivers – as to whether or not they are covered by employment laws – is a prominent example of the capacity of labour laws to protect or let down the modern workforce. Worse, the presence of forced labour in the UK shows the need for more effective laws to prevent the proliferation of modern slavery.

When it comes to tackling these and other unacceptable forms of work, there are lots of lessons that can be learned from around the world. This was evident from a project I recently led that brought together a network of researchers and policymakers from more than 20 countries called Unacceptable Forms of Work: Global Dialogue/Local Innovation.

We found that countries across the world often face similar challenges in regulating labour effectively. Outlined in our recent report, these include casual work in its range of guises (“day labour”, “zero-hours contracts”, “on-call work” to name a few); forced labour; informal employment; the prevalence of violence and harassment in certain jobs and sectors, including in the care sector and in domestic work; and the weak enforcement of ostensibly robust labour standards.

Working conditions in different countries are exhibiting a degree of convergence due to the decline in job quality at the lower end of Western labour markets. Ongoing research in the garment sector in southern Africa, for example, highlights aspirations that are universal. Many of the most pressing concerns for workers here centre on work-life balance: accessible childcare, more flexible working arrangements, and cheap and swift transport to work.

Comparing problems in different regions is therefore useful, including with lower-income countries. It is valuable - and revealing - to ask whether lessons can be learned from the global south. And when it comes to having better regulation that might tackle these challenges, lessons from Brazil and India stand out.

Combating forced labour in Brazil

Brazil offers an effective model for combating forced labour in supply chains, which is where this problem often gets hidden. In particular, smaller firms that are lower down the supply chain may cope with pressure to cut costs through resorting to forced labour.

As part of our project, a team led by Ann Posthuma at the UN’s International Labour Organisation and Flavia Scabin at Fundação Getulio Vargas University in São Paulo, argues that transparency can be achieved by combining innovative laws with novel labour inspection and civil society strategies. The team has seen this in action in Brazil.

Central is something called the lista suja or “dirty list”. This is a registry that publicly discloses the names of companies found to host forced labour in their supply chains. Firms on the dirty list are publicly shamed and risk being denied government funding and tax subsidies. A São Paulo state law goes further, banning companies that benefit from forced labour for up to ten years.

The transparency requirement in the UK Modern Slavery Act, in contrast, merely requires firms to publicise any actions they have taken to ensure that forced labour is not taking place in their supply chains. The UK – and other European countries – could learn from the more forceful approach adopted in Brazil, which also has a labour inspection framework that involves coordination with unions and employers’ organisations.

Gig economy lessons from India

Regulating casual work – sometimes characterised as “the gig economy” – is essential if in-work poverty is to be eliminated since these jobs have variable and unpredictable incomes. In our project, Shelley Marshall from RMIT University, Melbourne, and Babu Ramesh from Ambedkar University Delhi illustrate how lessons can be learned from India and how Mathadi work in the state of Maharashtra is regulated.

Mathadi workers are labourers hired by transport companies to shift goods in ports and docks, market yards, and in retail – they tend to carry the goods on their heads and shoulders. It is gruelling work. Like “zero hours” workers, Mathadi workers have traditionally been excluded from the protections of labour law because they do not have a consistent employer and work on a “gig” basis.

Maharashtra enacted pioneering legislation – the Mathadi Act – back in 1969 to tackle both the oversupply of labour and worker exploitation. The law established Mathadi boards which combine representatives of workers, employers and the government. The boards themselves act as labour hire agencies: both workers and those hiring them must register with a board to operate in the industry. They also stipulate labour standards for Mathadi workers and provide them with social protection.

As Marshall has argued, the Mathadi Act offers a new way of thinking about regulating casual work – including by making space for dialogue between worker, employer and government representatives. This approach supports a more active and collaborative role for unions and employers or hirers.

Of course, different countries differ significantly in levels of socio-economic development, legal systems and labour market strategies. Yet there are clearly models from elsewhere that offer lessons in better regulating work, including from the global south.

If the UK government is serious about eliminating poverty and upholding the human rights of its citizens, it needs to update its laws to protect workers who are being exploited. As our report argues, this will require a degree of experimentation and the involvement of those who are affected by these laws. It is not enough to focus on high levels of employment if this work does not pay and poverty proliferates as a result.

(Deirdre McCann is Professor of Law, Durham University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-combat-forced-labour-and-in-work-poverty-brazil-and-india-offer-some-lessons-106570">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Deirdre McCann The visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in the UK is crystallising an unease about the state of working life.

By Deirdre McCann The visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in the UK is crystallising an unease about the state of working life. Work is fundamental to combating poverty. Yet, despite the employment rate remaining high, the UK is experiencing a worrying increase in the number of people who are in work but still in poverty, due to the growth of types of work that are unacceptable over the last decade. The law plays an important role here. It can either sustain or discourage low-wage and insecure jobs. Ongoing litigation over the rights of Uber drivers – as to whether or not they are covered by employment laws – is a prominent example of the capacity of labour laws to protect or let down the modern workforce. Worse, the presence of forced labour in the UK shows the need for more effective laws to prevent the proliferation of modern slavery. When it comes to tackling these and other unacceptable forms of work, there are lots of lessons that can be learned from around the world. This was evident from a project I recently led that brought together a network of researchers and policymakers from more than 20 countries called Unacceptable Forms of Work: Global Dialogue/Local Innovation. We found that countries across the world often face similar challenges in regulating labour effectively. Outlined in our recent report, these include casual work in its range of guises (“day labour”, “zero-hours contracts”, “on-call work” to name a few); forced labour; informal employment; the prevalence of violence and harassment in certain jobs and sectors, including in the care sector and in domestic work; and the weak enforcement of ostensibly robust labour standards. Working conditions in different countries are exhibiting a degree of convergence due to the decline in job quality at the lower end of Western labour markets. Ongoing research in the garment sector in southern Africa, for example, highlights aspirations that are universal. Many of the most pressing concerns for workers here centre on work-life balance: accessible childcare, more flexible working arrangements, and cheap and swift transport to work. Comparing problems in different regions is therefore useful, including with lower-income countries. It is valuable - and revealing - to ask whether lessons can be learned from the global south. And when it comes to having better regulation that might tackle these challenges, lessons from Brazil and India stand out. Combating forced labour in Brazil Brazil offers an effective model for combating forced labour in supply chains, which is where this problem often gets hidden. In particular, smaller firms that are lower down the supply chain may cope with pressure to cut costs through resorting to forced labour. As part of our project, a team led by Ann Posthuma at the UN’s International Labour Organisation and Flavia Scabin at Fundação Getulio Vargas University in São Paulo, argues that transparency can be achieved by combining innovative laws with novel labour inspection and civil society strategies. The team has seen this in action in Brazil. Central is something called the lista suja or “dirty list”. This is a registry that publicly discloses the names of companies found to host forced labour in their supply chains. Firms on the dirty list are publicly shamed and risk being denied government funding and tax subsidies. A São Paulo state law goes further, banning companies that benefit from forced labour for up to ten years. The transparency requirement in the UK Modern Slavery Act, in contrast, merely requires firms to publicise any actions they have taken to ensure that forced labour is not taking place in their supply chains. The UK – and other European countries – could learn from the more forceful approach adopted in Brazil, which also has a labour inspection framework that involves coordination with unions and employers’ organisations. Gig economy lessons from India Regulating casual work – sometimes characterised as “the gig economy” – is essential if in-work poverty is to be eliminated since these jobs have variable and unpredictable incomes. In our project, Shelley Marshall from RMIT University, Melbourne, and Babu Ramesh from Ambedkar University Delhi illustrate how lessons can be learned from India and how Mathadi work in the state of Maharashtra is regulated. Mathadi workers are labourers hired by transport companies to shift goods in ports and docks, market yards, and in retail – they tend to carry the goods on their heads and shoulders. It is gruelling work. Like “zero hours” workers, Mathadi workers have traditionally been excluded from the protections of labour law because they do not have a consistent employer and work on a “gig” basis. Maharashtra enacted pioneering legislation – the Mathadi Act – back in 1969 to tackle both the oversupply of labour and worker exploitation. The law established Mathadi boards which combine representatives of workers, employers and the government. The boards themselves act as labour hire agencies: both workers and those hiring them must register with a board to operate in the industry. They also stipulate labour standards for Mathadi workers and provide them with social protection. As Marshall has argued, the Mathadi Act offers a new way of thinking about regulating casual work – including by making space for dialogue between worker, employer and government representatives. This approach supports a more active and collaborative role for unions and employers or hirers. Of course, different countries differ significantly in levels of socio-economic development, legal systems and labour market strategies. Yet there are clearly models from elsewhere that offer lessons in better regulating work, including from the global south. If the UK government is serious about eliminating poverty and upholding the human rights of its citizens, it needs to update its laws to protect workers who are being exploited. As our report argues, this will require a degree of experimentation and the involvement of those who are affected by these laws. It is not enough to focus on high levels of employment if this work does not pay and poverty proliferates as a result. (Deirdre McCann is Professor of Law, Durham University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

We need to combat in-work poverty – Brazil and India offer some lessons

Rural people often migrate seasonally with their herds, or to join the harvest in other districts. They frequently travel to towns and cities to trade, do temporary jobs, or advance their education.

In some regions of the world, nomadic cultures are commonplace. Migration is one of the most debated topics, and policymakers are fully aware of how much people move around. What is lacking is reliable data — movement is very difficult to capture in official statistical systems.

Internal mobility is commonplace. Yet policy debates tend to focus on international mobility, which is more widely remarked in receiving countries and spurs more news reports. Yet remittances from migrants within countries are often more important to supplementing rural incomes than those from far away - and have a bigger impact on relieving poverty.

As mobile phone masts, tarmac roads, power generators and cables advance into the countryside, mobility is playing a growing part in rural livelihoods. More importantly, the physical distance between towns and rural areas is also shrinking. Opportunities for seasonal and so-called circular migration, where the worker moves regularly between a home and host district, will continue to grow. In some areas commuting becomes commonplace. Small and intermediate towns are breaking down the rural-urban divide.

But why should rural people have to migrate to escape poverty? Migration should not be a necessity, but a choice made to better the situation of the individual or the family. It should not be leading to unemployment, poor working conditions, exploitation and crime, nor upending society and depriving children the chance to grow up with their parents.

To ensure migration remains a choice, rather than a necessity, we need to invest in rural areas. But modern economic history also teaches us that investment in agriculture and rural areas delivers not just productivity and income gains in agriculture, but faster growth elsewhere in the economy.

When farmers earn more, they have more money to buy farm inputs and services, and need access to financial services. As farms become more productive and are integrated into value chains, rural areas need facilities for transport, produce processing and packaging. Profits become available to invest in other sectors of the economy too, kick-starting growth in rural areas. Growth in agriculture and food systems increases consumer spending on non-food consumables and spurs growth in the economy generally. Where agriculture is unproductive, economies often remain poor.

Rural transformation broadens choices for rural people and drives economic development. It can create opportunities for mobility (it is sometimes assumed that rural transformation stops people from deciding to move). From the other side, mobility can also contribute to rural transformation.

Rural transformation contributes to the development of thriving non-farm economies, skills development, technological progress and develops rural-urban links. Mobility both gives people more choices, and helps them become more prosperous.

As farms become more prosperous and complex, entrepreneurs develop businesses to service their needs — often in local villages or towns. So it is important to invest in rural communities along the value chain and to ensure entrepreneurs have the funds they need to grow their businesses.

Besides services such as storage, transport and packaging, smallholders need roads and transport systems, and institutional links to information and services.

People on the move need access to mobile information. Mobile networks and telephones, backed by content on apps and tools, are needed to supply information and services to migrants. Mobile phone apps are already reducing the cost of transferring remittances and payments to people in rural areas.

Against this backdrop, we need policies, institutions and investments that respond to mobility. Rather than making it hard for people to move, we need to remove barriers that make it harder for them to make the most of their time and become more productive.

Mobility is a legitimate, and often a smart, household strategy. If supported by governments, development agencies and civil society, not to mention private business, mobility can contribute to better outcomes for households across both rural and urban areas. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-rethinking-modern-mobility-2673537">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Rural people often migrate seasonally with their herds, or to join the harvest in other districts. They frequently travel to towns and cities to trade, do temporary jobs, or advance their education.

Rural people often migrate seasonally with their herds, or to join the harvest in other districts. They frequently travel to towns and cities to trade, do temporary jobs, or advance their education. In some regions of the world, nomadic cultures are commonplace. Migration is one of the most debated topics, and policymakers are fully aware of how much people move around. What is lacking is reliable data — movement is very difficult to capture in official statistical systems. Internal mobility is commonplace. Yet policy debates tend to focus on international mobility, which is more widely remarked in receiving countries and spurs more news reports. Yet remittances from migrants within countries are often more important to supplementing rural incomes than those from far away - and have a bigger impact on relieving poverty. As mobile phone masts, tarmac roads, power generators and cables advance into the countryside, mobility is playing a growing part in rural livelihoods. More importantly, the physical distance between towns and rural areas is also shrinking. Opportunities for seasonal and so-called circular migration, where the worker moves regularly between a home and host district, will continue to grow. In some areas commuting becomes commonplace. Small and intermediate towns are breaking down the rural-urban divide. But why should rural people have to migrate to escape poverty? Migration should not be a necessity, but a choice made to better the situation of the individual or the family. It should not be leading to unemployment, poor working conditions, exploitation and crime, nor upending society and depriving children the chance to grow up with their parents. To ensure migration remains a choice, rather than a necessity, we need to invest in rural areas. But modern economic history also teaches us that investment in agriculture and rural areas delivers not just productivity and income gains in agriculture, but faster growth elsewhere in the economy. When farmers earn more, they have more money to buy farm inputs and services, and need access to financial services. As farms become more productive and are integrated into value chains, rural areas need facilities for transport, produce processing and packaging. Profits become available to invest in other sectors of the economy too, kick-starting growth in rural areas. Growth in agriculture and food systems increases consumer spending on non-food consumables and spurs growth in the economy generally. Where agriculture is unproductive, economies often remain poor. Rural transformation broadens choices for rural people and drives economic development. It can create opportunities for mobility (it is sometimes assumed that rural transformation stops people from deciding to move). From the other side, mobility can also contribute to rural transformation. Rural transformation contributes to the development of thriving non-farm economies, skills development, technological progress and develops rural-urban links. Mobility both gives people more choices, and helps them become more prosperous. As farms become more prosperous and complex, entrepreneurs develop businesses to service their needs — often in local villages or towns. So it is important to invest in rural communities along the value chain and to ensure entrepreneurs have the funds they need to grow their businesses. Besides services such as storage, transport and packaging, smallholders need roads and transport systems, and institutional links to information and services. People on the move need access to mobile information. Mobile networks and telephones, backed by content on apps and tools, are needed to supply information and services to migrants. Mobile phone apps are already reducing the cost of transferring remittances and payments to people in rural areas. Against this backdrop, we need policies, institutions and investments that respond to mobility. Rather than making it hard for people to move, we need to remove barriers that make it harder for them to make the most of their time and become more productive. Mobility is a legitimate, and often a smart, household strategy. If supported by governments, development agencies and civil society, not to mention private business, mobility can contribute to better outcomes for households across both rural and urban areas. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Rethinking modern mobility

Nearly half all children in Afghanistan are out of school due to conflict, poverty, child marriage and discrimination against girls, the number rising for the first time since 2002, humanitarian organisations said in a report on Sunday.

Spreading violence has forced many schools to close, undermining fragile gains in education for girls in a country where millions have never set foot in a class room.

Some 3.7 million children between the ages of seven and 17, or 44 per cent of all children, are out of school, 2.7 million of them girls, Education Minister Mirwais Balkhi told a seminar, explaining a study conducted by UNICEF, USAID and the independent Samuel Hall think-tank.

The Taliban, seeking to oust the U.S.-backed government and return the country to strict Islamic rule after their 2001 ouster, are adamantly opposed to education for girls and threats from Islamic State has forced the closure of dozens of schools.

Without mentioning the Taliban or Islamic State, Balkhi said there were "many reasons" for children not going to school.

"Education of children is the most important development in all human communities," he said. "It is the most important tool in fighting war, poverty and unemployment."

In the worst affected provinces, up to 85 per cent of girls are not going to school, the aid groups said. They did not give specific time periods or comparisons.

In April this year, militants set ablaze two schools and widespread violence had led to closure of hundreds of private schools.

"Business as usual is not an option for Afghanistan if we are to fulfil the right to edIucation for every child," said Adele Khodr of UNICEF in the report.

"When children are not in school, they are at increased danger of abuse, exploitation and recruitment."

One teenage girl, Ziwar, from central Daikundi, one of the safest provinces in the country, said she had been at school until she was 14.

"I can read and write. I can write a letter," she told seminar delegates. "I learn from books. I want to continue my studies. I want to become a doctor in the future."

Nearly half all children in Afghanistan are out of school due to conflict, poverty, child marriage and discrimination against girls, the number rising for the first time since 2002, humanitarian organisations said in a report on Sunday

Nearly half all children in Afghanistan are out of school due to conflict, poverty, child marriage and discrimination against girls, the number rising for the first time since 2002, humanitarian organisations said in a report on Sunday. Spreading violence has forced many schools to close, undermining fragile gains in education for girls in a country where millions have never set foot in a class room. Some 3.7 million children between the ages of seven and 17, or 44 per cent of all children, are out of school, 2.7 million of them girls, Education Minister Mirwais Balkhi told a seminar, explaining a study conducted by UNICEF, USAID and the independent Samuel Hall think-tank. The Taliban, seeking to oust the U.S.-backed government and return the country to strict Islamic rule after their 2001 ouster, are adamantly opposed to education for girls and threats from Islamic State has forced the closure of dozens of schools. Without mentioning the Taliban or Islamic State, Balkhi said there were "many reasons" for children not going to school. "Education of children is the most important development in all human communities," he said. "It is the most important tool in fighting war, poverty and unemployment." In the worst affected provinces, up to 85 per cent of girls are not going to school, the aid groups said. They did not give specific time periods or comparisons. In April this year, militants set ablaze two schools and widespread violence had led to closure of hundreds of private schools. "Business as usual is not an option for Afghanistan if we are to fulfil the right to edIucation for every child," said Adele Khodr of UNICEF in the report. "When children are not in school, they are at increased danger of abuse, exploitation and recruitment." One teenage girl, Ziwar, from central Daikundi, one of the safest provinces in the country, said she had been at school until she was 14. "I can read and write. I can write a letter," she told seminar delegates. "I learn from books. I want to continue my studies. I want to become a doctor in the future."

Nearly half Afghan children out of school, rising for first time since 2002

A total of 1.50 lakh people were pulled out of poverty last year, bringing the impoverished population in the region from 5.90 lakh in 2015 to 3.30 lakh, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

A total of 16.7 billion yuan ($ 2.6 billion) was invested in 2017 to help locals increase income, relocate and support the development of over 1,700 anti-poverty projects in the region, the report said.

People, in a total of 2,440 villages still live in dire poverty in Tibet, and the region plans to invest 11.7 billion yuan this year to lift another 2,100 villages out of poverty, the report said.

It also aims for an annual growth of 16 per cent in disposable income for people living under the poverty line, which is defined as a per capita annual income of 2,300 yuan at 2010 prices.

More than 85 per cent of the land in Tibet is located more than 4,000 metres above sea level, the report said.

The region will also continue to expand social security coverage to improve living conditions for people with disabilities, no income, inability to work, as well as for teenagers under 16 and senior people above 60.

There were around 30 million Chinese still living below the national poverty line at the end of last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

A total of 1.50 lakh people were pulled out of poverty last year, bringing the impoverished population in the region from 5.90 lakh in 2015 to 3.30 lakh

A total of 1.50 lakh people were pulled out of poverty last year, bringing the impoverished population in the region from 5.90 lakh in 2015 to 3.30 lakh, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. A total of 16.7 billion yuan ($ 2.6 billion) was invested in 2017 to help locals increase income, relocate and support the development of over 1,700 anti-poverty projects in the region, the report said. People, in a total of 2,440 villages still live in dire poverty in Tibet, and the region plans to invest 11.7 billion yuan this year to lift another 2,100 villages out of poverty, the report said. It also aims for an annual growth of 16 per cent in disposable income for people living under the poverty line, which is defined as a per capita annual income of 2,300 yuan at 2010 prices. More than 85 per cent of the land in Tibet is located more than 4,000 metres above sea level, the report said. The region will also continue to expand social security coverage to improve living conditions for people with disabilities, no income, inability to work, as well as for teenagers under 16 and senior people above 60. There were around 30 million Chinese still living below the national poverty line at the end of last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

3.30 lakh people live in dire poverty in Tibet: Report

Pope Francis issued a warning to Catholics who criticise his calls to welcome migrants with open arms, in a much-awaited text published Monday.

The Argentine pontiff has put the plight of people fleeing war, persecution and poverty at the heart of his five-year papacy, putting him at odds with a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in many parts of the world.&nbsp

In the third apostolic exhortation of his pontificate -- a guideline on how Catholics can strive for "holiness" -- the 81-year-old unexpectedly hit out at his critics.

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<h5>In April 2016, Francis flew to a Greek island on the frontline of the migrant crisis, Lesbos, and returned to Rome with three families of Syrian Muslims</h5>
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"Some Catholics consider the situation of migrants to be a secondary issue," he wrote.

"That a politician looking for votes might say such a thing is understandable, but not a Christian for whom the only proper attitude is to stand in the shoes of those brothers and sisters of ours who risk their lives to offer a future to their children."

Citing a passage from the Old Testament urging the welcoming of foreigners, Francis remarked sharply that the issue was not "a notion invented by some pope, or a momentary fad".

In April 2016, he flew to a Greek island on the frontline of the migrant crisis, Lesbos, and returned to Rome with three families of Syrian Muslims.

The pontiff also took the opportunity to reiterate his staunch opposition to abortion in the text entitled "Gaudete et exsultate" (Rejoice and be glad). &nbsp

"Our defence of the innocent unborn needs to be clear, firm and passionate," he said, adding that the "lives of the poor" were "equally sacred."

The first years of Francis' papacy were peppered with strong words against governments, which he has accused of not doing enough to welcome the millions of refugees and migrants fleeing their home countries.

But over the years, he has moderated his discourse, suggesting that host countries had the right to regulate the number of arrivals according to their capacity to accommodate and integrate foreigners.

"There are those who feel encouraged by the pope's stance on migrants and it is still a majority," Christophe Dufour, archbishop of the French city of Aix-en-Provence, told AFP.&nbsp

"And there is a small number who say: 'he is naive, let him come and live among migrants, it is not so simple'." &nbsp

The Argentine pontiff has put the plight of people fleeing war, persecution and poverty at the heart of his five-year papacy, putting him at odds with a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in many parts of the world

Pope Francis issued a warning to Catholics who criticise his calls to welcome migrants with open arms, in a much-awaited text published Monday. The Argentine pontiff has put the plight of people fleeing war, persecution and poverty at the heart of his five-year papacy, putting him at odds with a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in many parts of the world. In the third apostolic exhortation of his pontificate -- a guideline on how Catholics can strive for "holiness" -- the 81-year-old unexpectedly hit out at his critics. In April 2016, Francis flew to a Greek island on the frontline of the migrant crisis, Lesbos, and returned to Rome with three families of Syrian Muslims × "Some Catholics consider the situation of migrants to be a secondary issue," he wrote. "That a politician looking for votes might say such a thing is understandable, but not a Christian for whom the only proper attitude is to stand in the shoes of those brothers and sisters of ours who risk their lives to offer a future to their children." Citing a passage from the Old Testament urging the welcoming of foreigners, Francis remarked sharply that the issue was not "a notion invented by some pope, or a momentary fad". In April 2016, he flew to a Greek island on the frontline of the migrant crisis, Lesbos, and returned to Rome with three families of Syrian Muslims. The pontiff also took the opportunity to reiterate his staunch opposition to abortion in the text entitled "Gaudete et exsultate" (Rejoice and be glad). "Our defence of the innocent unborn needs to be clear, firm and passionate," he said, adding that the "lives of the poor" were "equally sacred." The first years of Francis' papacy were peppered with strong words against governments, which he has accused of not doing enough to welcome the millions of refugees and migrants fleeing their home countries. But over the years, he has moderated his discourse, suggesting that host countries had the right to regulate the number of arrivals according to their capacity to accommodate and integrate foreigners. "There are those who feel encouraged by the pope's stance on migrants and it is still a majority," Christophe Dufour, archbishop of the French city of Aix-en-Provence, told AFP. "And there is a small number who say: 'he is naive, let him come and live among migrants, it is not so simple'."

Pope hits out at critics of his pro-migrant policy

There is an excitement in the air! Yes, it&rsquo;s that time of the year when families come together to celebrate the Christmas spirit and enjoy holidays.

In my host organisation&nbsp;Indus Action, it&rsquo;s campaign season, and the entire organization is gearing for intense hard work for the coming few months so that eligible children do not miss out on their right to education due to lack of information.

In my&nbsp;last blog, I had shared my host organisation&rsquo;s aim to enroll 1 million kids by ensuring effective implementation of the Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education Act (RTE). This provision mandates that unaided private schools reserve at least 25% of their entry level seats for children belonging to the disadvantaged and weaker groups. Though often debated, this provision aims to promote inclusion in the society through the young change-makers in the classrooms.

As I become acquainted with the campaign process, I understand that Indus Action works at two levels &ndash; community and the government &ndash; to ensure that the campaigns are successful.&nbsp;

The campaign season, which usually starts 3-4 months prior the admission process, involves intense awareness generation about this provision, especially at the community level,&nbsp; so that eligible families are able to avail its benefit.&nbsp;The organisation&rsquo;s missed call helpline and community calling banks are vital tools to disseminate information to the people about the entire admission process, which includes follow ups with eligible families, informing them about the benefits of this provision, the documents required, application dates, lottery dates and support once selected in the lottery. They also are useful in collecting data on the number of eligible families and successful enrollments.

When the admission cycle starts, help-desks and application centres are set up to ensure that parents and eligible families get adequate support to fill the application online. These application centers are within the community and managed by individuals, who have been trained by the organisation, so that the support available is also easily accessible by the eligible families. These become important as most of the time, families who are not internet savvy or aware of online application system, spend a lot of time and resources in getting an online application filled.

Collaboration with the government is central to the efforts of the organisation, as their belief is to not blame the system, but rather ironing out the creases to make it more efficient. The government support can help to expand the reach and impact of the efforts. The governments (through state-level partnerships) in turn are supported to adopt technology to strengthen their online system for increased transparency in filling applications, lottery system, tracking of students admitted and a database of schools, along with grievance redressal mechanism and user friendly procedures. These, once set in motion, will make the states capable to adapt the technology to implement other policies as well.

Indus Action is aiming to make the entire admission process as cost effective as possible. As CEO Tarun Cherukuri shared during one of our weekly meetings: in the first campaign in 2013, they got 160 children enrolled in @INR 20,000 per child! Whereas last year, more than 30,000 children were enrolled into private schools under this provision for about INR 200 per child, across 5 states through its Partner Entrepreneur Network in Bangalore, Delhi, Lucknow, Pune, and Raipur.

The ambitious target for this campaign season 2017-2018, is to enroll more than 3 lakh children in private schools across India, and 1 million children by 2020.

People face innumerable barriers like poverty, caste, class, gender, disability, religion, race, among others. Because of these social barriers, they lack the access to information about their own rights of which they are them deprived of. Indus Action for me is a bridge leading people to access information about their legislated rights. Children from disadvantaged communities also face barriers because their parents do not have access to information about the Section 12(1)(c), which mandates that the private schools reserve 25% of their seats for such children. This is the provision on which Indus Action is currently focused on with the aim of enrolling 1 million children into schools under this provision.

This&nbsp;article&nbsp;was originally published on 9/12/2017 on&nbsp;American India Foundation

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

Children from disadvantaged communities who face barriers because their parents do not have access to information about the Section 12(1)(c), which mandates that the private schools reserve 25% of their seats for such children.

There is an excitement in the air! Yes, it’s that time of the year when families come together to celebrate the Christmas spirit and enjoy holidays. In my host organisation Indus Action, it’s campaign season, and the entire organization is gearing for intense hard work for the coming few months so that eligible children do not miss out on their right to education due to lack of information. In my last blog, I had shared my host organisation’s aim to enroll 1 million kids by ensuring effective implementation of the Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education Act (RTE). This provision mandates that unaided private schools reserve at least 25% of their entry level seats for children belonging to the disadvantaged and weaker groups. Though often debated, this provision aims to promote inclusion in the society through the young change-makers in the classrooms. As I become acquainted with the campaign process, I understand that Indus Action works at two levels – community and the government – to ensure that the campaigns are successful. The campaign season, which usually starts 3-4 months prior the admission process, involves intense awareness generation about this provision, especially at the community level, so that eligible families are able to avail its benefit. The organisation’s missed call helpline and community calling banks are vital tools to disseminate information to the people about the entire admission process, which includes follow ups with eligible families, informing them about the benefits of this provision, the documents required, application dates, lottery dates and support once selected in the lottery. They also are useful in collecting data on the number of eligible families and successful enrollments. When the admission cycle starts, help-desks and application centres are set up to ensure that parents and eligible families get adequate support to fill the application online. These application centers are within the community and managed by individuals, who have been trained by the organisation, so that the support available is also easily accessible by the eligible families. These become important as most of the time, families who are not internet savvy or aware of online application system, spend a lot of time and resources in getting an online application filled. Collaboration with the government is central to the efforts of the organisation, as their belief is to not blame the system, but rather ironing out the creases to make it more efficient. The government support can help to expand the reach and impact of the efforts. The governments (through state-level partnerships) in turn are supported to adopt technology to strengthen their online system for increased transparency in filling applications, lottery system, tracking of students admitted and a database of schools, along with grievance redressal mechanism and user friendly procedures. These, once set in motion, will make the states capable to adapt the technology to implement other policies as well. Indus Action is aiming to make the entire admission process as cost effective as possible. As CEO Tarun Cherukuri shared during one of our weekly meetings: in the first campaign in 2013, they got 160 children enrolled in @INR 20,000 per child! Whereas last year, more than 30,000 children were enrolled into private schools under this provision for about INR 200 per child, across 5 states through its Partner Entrepreneur Network in Bangalore, Delhi, Lucknow, Pune, and Raipur. The ambitious target for this campaign season 2017-2018, is to enroll more than 3 lakh children in private schools across India, and 1 million children by 2020. People face innumerable barriers like poverty, caste, class, gender, disability, religion, race, among others. Because of these social barriers, they lack the access to information about their own rights of which they are them deprived of. Indus Action for me is a bridge leading people to access information about their legislated rights. Children from disadvantaged communities also face barriers because their parents do not have access to information about the Section 12(1)(c), which mandates that the private schools reserve 25% of their seats for such children. This is the provision on which Indus Action is currently focused on with the aim of enrolling 1 million children into schools under this provision. This article was originally published on 9/12/2017 on American India Foundation (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion:  Will all kids go to school as Delhi starts nursery admission?

I like sleeping outside, right underneath the bamboo rooftop on the balcony, falling asleep to Bihar&rsquo;s heavy rain and the wind rustling the coconut trees nearby. My eyes get heavy to the unpredictable rhythmic of the rain hitting our gravel dirt road. Without any walls, the sunrise busts in at 5:03 in the morning, making a scene, warming my cold nose, blinding me awake, telling me it&rsquo;s time to wake up. It is the most relaxing and beautiful sight I&rsquo;ve ever woken up to. I still wiggle out of my sleeping bag, step off my cot and lean over the balcony to soak in its red-orange warmth before sneaking back for a couple more hours of sleep.

When I first arrived at eArthshala, <a href="http://www.projectpotential.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Project Potential</a>&rsquo;s campus, and I climbed the stairs to what is now my favourite spot, the bamboo rooftop balcony, I was hesitant because I imagined rain soaking through. I even tried to look for signs of water on the ground to prove my point but couldn&rsquo;t find any. I brushed it off, perhaps it hadn&rsquo;t rained for a few days? Eventually, I asked someone, wouldn&rsquo;t the rain slip through and soak whoever is up here? The answer was no, but I&rsquo;m not sure I actually believed them. I&rsquo;ve come to realise that bamboo is versatile. You can eat it, you can wear it and you can build a home with it, not to mention countless other things. And yet, I believed it to be both fragile and archaic.

I had to wonder &ndash; did the problem exist with natural materials such as bamboo and even mud, or was it merely a problem of the modern mind? The common misconception of bamboo or mud &ndash; natural materials used for construction &ndash; is that they are not as strong as cement and steel. However, these traditional structures are what we should rely on, as we face issues that human beings have yet to experience to this magnitude: A rapidly deteriorating planet, overpopulation, countless environmental issues, natural disasters and globally destructive wars.

As I marvel at the beauty of Project Potential&rsquo;s bamboo roof, I have to wonder: How can we begin to build on today&rsquo;s issues without damaging our environment further? How will we mass produce construction materials for places such as Aleppo, Syria, that desperately need them? How can we build sturdy homes with locally-sourced materials that can also withstand cyclones and earthquakes? How we decide to build for those that can not afford &lsquo;modern materials,&rsquo; or what materials we decide to use will nonetheless have an impact on our Earth.

In some &lsquo;developing&rsquo; countries like India and some &lsquo;developed&rsquo; countries like the United States, children and adults are conditioned to believe that mud houses are temporary, while brick and cement are permanent in nature; this is a fundamentally flawed argument, as natural materials like mud and lime plaster, when used appropriately, only strengthen over time (as demonstrated by mud structures built centuries ago and still standing). Withstanding time seems reasonable but structures made from earthen materials can also be used to rebuild for the next earthquake. In the face of natural disasters, these organic materials can still hold up. I myself was doubtful, thinking about the natural disasters that plagued our world in 2017, from heavy flooding in Bangladesh and Nepal to earthquakes in Mexico. It is indeed possible to build a structure &ndash; a home &ndash; with sustainable materials designed to meet not only contemporary needs but more specifically withstand earthquakes, flooding and other disasters.

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Example of a bamboo house in a nearby village. (Others)
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However, it is important to point out that these organic homes aren&rsquo;t the only ones to withstand natural disasters. Thanks to modern technology, we have created shock absorbers and techniques that can save thousands of lives in a city, and allow skyscrapers to shake but still survive. Although this technology exists, it is quite costly and largely inaccessible and arguably an unnecessary development in some areas, not to mention irrelevant in certain parts of the world. Why not get back to the basics?

I am not advocating that we all tear down our buildings and move into earthen houses; mud and bamboo will not be the answer for everything and everywhere. However, I ask that we open our minds and view these materials as an intentional choice, instead of as poverty. That perhaps ideas of development and the right to development be open to debate so that locations that were robbed of resources, can view all their options with untainted societal pressures. Let&rsquo;s instead tear down stereotypes and build a humanity of intentionality. Let&rsquo;s stop teaching our children that mud houses are &lsquo;kachcha&rsquo; (wrong) and cement houses are &lsquo;pakka&rsquo; (right)&nbsp;because it will only harm us in the name of progress.

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Architects visiting Project Potential&rsquo;s site and local houses to view how locals use bamboo, and how to assist us in thinking about our construction goals. (Others)
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Building our homes with intentionality, be it from organic material, or traditional processes, to the values we hope to encourage visitors to think about, is what Project Potential is doing right here in rural Bihar, close to the borders of Nepal and West Bengal. In March 2016, Project Potential sought to create an alternative learning environment for local youth so that they can explore new notions of self, community, and environment that would ultimately lead to meaningful employment.

It was with this goal in mind that we purchased a 15-acre campus through which we hoped youth will be exposed to skills required to make a sustainable living. We aim to frame eco-toilets, bamboo, mud construction and solar panels in a new way. We hope that these will create an 18- degree transformation through which youth will define their own values and interests (not by societal standards), and accordingly learn skills that they can use to sustain themselves, their communities, and the environment.

We see our campus &mdash; e???????? (eArthshala) from English earth and Hindi arth, which means both &lsquo;economy&rsquo; and &lsquo;meaning&rsquo; &mdash; as a gathering space for such learning. e???????? is meant to serve as a kind of &lsquo;ashram&rsquo; for our programs. In other words, through its design, practices and culture, the campus will be a space which inspires us toward better versions of ourselves and a better future, even if the core focus for the gathering is educational.

We strive to have positive effects on the local economy and be a catalyst for local development through everything we do, including construction. Together, our youth and campus would contribute to the image building of Bihar, and in turn, they could leverage the positive change in perception. Thus, our honest intent to bring in this transformation must be reflected in our spaces and design language.

Project Potential isn&rsquo;t just trying to tackle the youth unemployment crisis in Bihar; it also wants to understand how our organisation&rsquo;s presence makes a difference. From analysing the way in which we decide to engage youth, to the language we use to engage the community, to how we place ourselves within the community.

Ultimately, we desire to utilise the community&rsquo;s economy and natural materials that will protect the community and empower the people to create sustainable living. Bamboo can offer us shelter, food, clothing, a good fire, clean air; let us view it in the light, instead of poverty. Everything we need is right here.

This <a href="http://aif.org/mud-and-bamboo-houses-are-proving-our-stereotypes-of-poverty-wrong/" rel="nofollow">article</a> was originally published on&nbsp;29/ 11/ 2017 on <a href="http://aif.org/" rel="nofollow">American India Foundation</a>

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

It is indeed possible to build a structure ? a home ? with sustainable materials designed to meet not only contemporary needs but more specifically withstand earthquakes, flooding and other disasters.

I like sleeping outside, right underneath the bamboo rooftop on the balcony, falling asleep to Bihar’s heavy rain and the wind rustling the coconut trees nearby. My eyes get heavy to the unpredictable rhythmic of the rain hitting our gravel dirt road. Without any walls, the sunrise busts in at 5:03 in the morning, making a scene, warming my cold nose, blinding me awake, telling me it’s time to wake up. It is the most relaxing and beautiful sight I’ve ever woken up to. I still wiggle out of my sleeping bag, step off my cot and lean over the balcony to soak in its red-orange warmth before sneaking back for a couple more hours of sleep. When I first arrived at eArthshala, Project Potential’s campus, and I climbed the stairs to what is now my favourite spot, the bamboo rooftop balcony, I was hesitant because I imagined rain soaking through. I even tried to look for signs of water on the ground to prove my point but couldn’t find any. I brushed it off, perhaps it hadn’t rained for a few days? Eventually, I asked someone, wouldn’t the rain slip through and soak whoever is up here? The answer was no, but I’m not sure I actually believed them. I’ve come to realise that bamboo is versatile. You can eat it, you can wear it and you can build a home with it, not to mention countless other things. And yet, I believed it to be both fragile and archaic. I had to wonder – did the problem exist with natural materials such as bamboo and even mud, or was it merely a problem of the modern mind? The common misconception of bamboo or mud – natural materials used for construction – is that they are not as strong as cement and steel. However, these traditional structures are what we should rely on, as we face issues that human beings have yet to experience to this magnitude: A rapidly deteriorating planet, overpopulation, countless environmental issues, natural disasters and globally destructive wars. As I marvel at the beauty of Project Potential’s bamboo roof, I have to wonder: How can we begin to build on today’s issues without damaging our environment further? How will we mass produce construction materials for places such as Aleppo, Syria, that desperately need them? How can we build sturdy homes with locally-sourced materials that can also withstand cyclones and earthquakes? How we decide to build for those that can not afford ‘modern materials,’ or what materials we decide to use will nonetheless have an impact on our Earth. In some ‘developing’ countries like India and some ‘developed’ countries like the United States, children and adults are conditioned to believe that mud houses are temporary, while brick and cement are permanent in nature; this is a fundamentally flawed argument, as natural materials like mud and lime plaster, when used appropriately, only strengthen over time (as demonstrated by mud structures built centuries ago and still standing). Withstanding time seems reasonable but structures made from earthen materials can also be used to rebuild for the next earthquake. In the face of natural disasters, these organic materials can still hold up. I myself was doubtful, thinking about the natural disasters that plagued our world in 2017, from heavy flooding in Bangladesh and Nepal to earthquakes in Mexico. It is indeed possible to build a structure – a home – with sustainable materials designed to meet not only contemporary needs but more specifically withstand earthquakes, flooding and other disasters. Example of a bamboo house in a nearby village. (Others) × However, it is important to point out that these organic homes aren’t the only ones to withstand natural disasters. Thanks to modern technology, we have created shock absorbers and techniques that can save thousands of lives in a city, and allow skyscrapers to shake but still survive. Although this technology exists, it is quite costly and largely inaccessible and arguably an unnecessary development in some areas, not to mention irrelevant in certain parts of the world. Why not get back to the basics? I am not advocating that we all tear down our buildings and move into earthen houses; mud and bamboo will not be the answer for everything and everywhere. However, I ask that we open our minds and view these materials as an intentional choice, instead of as poverty. That perhaps ideas of development and the right to development be open to debate so that locations that were robbed of resources, can view all their options with untainted societal pressures. Let’s instead tear down stereotypes and build a humanity of intentionality. Let’s stop teaching our children that mud houses are ‘kachcha’ (wrong) and cement houses are ‘pakka’ (right) because it will only harm us in the name of progress. Architects visiting Project Potential’s site and local houses to view how locals use bamboo, and how to assist us in thinking about our construction goals. (Others) × Building our homes with intentionality, be it from organic material, or traditional processes, to the values we hope to encourage visitors to think about, is what Project Potential is doing right here in rural Bihar, close to the borders of Nepal and West Bengal. In March 2016, Project Potential sought to create an alternative learning environment for local youth so that they can explore new notions of self, community, and environment that would ultimately lead to meaningful employment. It was with this goal in mind that we purchased a 15-acre campus through which we hoped youth will be exposed to skills required to make a sustainable living. We aim to frame eco-toilets, bamboo, mud construction and solar panels in a new way. We hope that these will create an 18- degree transformation through which youth will define their own values and interests (not by societal standards), and accordingly learn skills that they can use to sustain themselves, their communities, and the environment. We see our campus — e???????? (eArthshala) from English earth and Hindi arth, which means both ‘economy’ and ‘meaning’ — as a gathering space for such learning. e???????? is meant to serve as a kind of ‘ashram’ for our programs. In other words, through its design, practices and culture, the campus will be a space which inspires us toward better versions of ourselves and a better future, even if the core focus for the gathering is educational. We strive to have positive effects on the local economy and be a catalyst for local development through everything we do, including construction. Together, our youth and campus would contribute to the image building of Bihar, and in turn, they could leverage the positive change in perception. Thus, our honest intent to bring in this transformation must be reflected in our spaces and design language. Project Potential isn’t just trying to tackle the youth unemployment crisis in Bihar; it also wants to understand how our organisation’s presence makes a difference. From analysing the way in which we decide to engage youth, to the language we use to engage the community, to how we place ourselves within the community. Ultimately, we desire to utilise the community’s economy and natural materials that will protect the community and empower the people to create sustainable living. Bamboo can offer us shelter, food, clothing, a good fire, clean air; let us view it in the light, instead of poverty. Everything we need is right here. This article was originally published on 29/ 11/ 2017 on American India Foundation (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Mud and bamboo houses are not signs of poverty

What would Vishal do today, if he were alive? Perhaps the teenager would fly kites, or play with his friends. Maybe he&rsquo;d work with his father on the family&rsquo;s two-acre field or pick up an odd job for a daily wage as he occasionally did. He wanted new clothes, his parents remember. That&rsquo;s all he had asked for.

But Vishal Khule died last November, just 10 days after Diwali, by consuming a bottle of weedicide that his father had bought a few days earlier to spray on their crops. He was wearing a wrinkled white shirt and blue pants that day, the police report says. Vishal was not yet 16 years old.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/02-imgp0670feature_image-jh-this_is_the_darkest%20period%20of%20life-20171017064128.jpg" />
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In Akola&rsquo;s Dadham village: Vishal&#39;s father, Vishwanath Khule and his distraught mother Sheela (on the right); elder brother Vaibhav and their neighbour Jankiram Khule, Vishal&rsquo;s &lsquo;kaka&rsquo; (on the left) (Others)
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&ldquo;He collapsed here,&rdquo; said his father, Vishwanath Khule, pointing to a spot beneath the window of the two-room shanty where the family lives. &ldquo;His mother was in the adjoining kitchen, making chapatis. I was out there,&rdquo; he added, gesturing toward the front yard. When her son collapsed with a thump, Sheela Khule rushed out to find Vishal lying on the floor, &ldquo;a white fluid oozing out of his mouth.&rdquo; The can of weedicide lay by his side, empty. Vishal died before reaching the hospital.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/03-imgp0674-jh-this_is_the_darkest_period_of_life-20171017064625.jpg" />
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Part of the two-room home where Vishal consumed a bottle of weedicide (Others)
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&ldquo;This is the darkest period of our life,&rdquo; Vishwanath said.

Dadham, with a population of 1,500, is among the poorest villages in this region. It is about 25 kilometres from Akola, a major city in western Vidarbha, Maharashtra&rsquo;s cotton- and soybean-growing belt, which has been in the news since the mid-1990s for a continuing spell of farmers&rsquo; suicides. The region is reeling under successive years of drought and an agrarian crisis that has only gone from bad to worse.

While the unabated spell of farmers&rsquo; suicides in rural Vidarbha and Marathwada, Maharashtra&rsquo;s eastern and central regions, has been reported on and acknowledged by the government, a related tragedy has gone all but unnoticed: suicides by the young children of debt-ridden farmers. (Farmers&rsquo; children have taken their own lives in the past, but newspaper reports indicate that the incidence has spiked in the past two years.)

While there is no specific data on suicides by children (under 18; or by youth under 20), in India as a result of agrarian distress, several studies and reports &ndash; from the 2005 door-to-door study commissioned by the Maharashtra government to subsequent studies on farm distress and suicides by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research &ndash; have pointed to the impact of debt and distress on children in peasant households. Many adolescent children of farmers inherit their parents&rsquo; debts and are forced to take on adult responsibilities, dropping out of school, tilling the fields, succumbing to depression, and for girls, being married off early so the family has one less mouth to feed.

Over the past decade, this writer has documented several such suicides, particularly in households where a suicide has already occurred. Sometimes farmers&rsquo; children commit suicide because they fear that if they don&rsquo;t, their parents will, a phenomenon is known as &lsquo;altruistic suicide&rsquo;. In one particularly poignant case in 2005, 19-year-old Neeta Bhopat hanged herself in Aasra village in Maharashtra.

In a neatly written suicide note in Marathi, she said: &ldquo;If I don&rsquo;t commit suicide, my father will [take his own life]; my family can&rsquo;t even earn a thousand rupees a month. I have two younger sisters. My parents can&rsquo;t bear the burden of our marriages when we don&rsquo;t have enough to eat. So I am taking my life.&rdquo; Nobody should be held responsible for her decision, she wrote. Committing suicide was the only way she could relieve her parents of some of their tension.

Scarcity and struggle

With a few months to go before the next kharif (monsoon) crops sprout, Dadham is still coming to terms with Vishal Khule&rsquo;s suicide. Severe water scarcity is already testing the villagers this summer. The entire vicinity is arid. Local newspaper reports suggest that the groundwater table has fallen alarmingly. Dadham has to wait for tankers to supply water every alternate day, or people must trek several kilometres to fetch drinking water. And as if this is not difficult enough, no work is available in the village.

&ldquo;This is the worst year&rdquo; of a three-season drought, said Akola district collector G. Sreekanth in his office earlier this year. &ldquo;We began preparing for the coming summer in September last [year],&rdquo; he added, even before the 2015 monsoon had officially ended.

Like many districts in the Marathwada, Vidarbha and western regions of Maharashtra last year, Akola district received only 60 per cent of its average annual rainfall of 692 mm. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s around 500 mm rains,&rdquo; said Sreekanth, &ldquo;which may not sound all that bad, but we got 400 mm of that in two days, on August 4 and 5.&rdquo; This meant the fields flooded and rainwater could not percolate into the ground.

Such a downpour and a long gap between rainy days is a new and alarming feature of the changing monsoon pattern, according to studies by the Indian Meteorological Department and Pune&rsquo;s Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and other research institutions studying climatic aberrations. After August 5 last year, Akola didn&rsquo;t see another drop of rain for 41 days, a devastatingly long dry spell. &ldquo;Every crop failed: soybeans, cotton and tur,&rdquo; the collector added.

With no crops to sell, and domestic expenses and other exigencies to meet, the Khule family borrowed from moneylenders. According to their bank records, they also have unpaid bank loans of about Rs. 50,000 over the last five years.

The Khules, who belong to the close-knit tribal Andh clan, are marginal peasant farmers. They have long been living hand-to-mouth, and Vishal Khule&rsquo;s death has only made life more precarious. His mother barely speaks, recounts their neighbour, Jankinath Khule, who recently retired from the government service as a naib tehsildar (a minor-rank revenue official). Vishal&rsquo;s two sisters, both married, are taking turns to return to the home to be with their mother, he said. Vishal&rsquo;s elder brother, 18-year-old Vaibhav, has dropped out of school after Class 10 and has taken to working odd jobs.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/04-imgp0671-jh-this_is_the_darkest_period_of_life-20171017064657.jpg" />
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When her son collapsed with a thump, Sheela Khule rushed out of the kitchen to find Vishal lying on the floor (Others)
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According to Jankinath Khule, a village elder, Vishal&rsquo;s suicide was the culmination of his growing frustration with poverty, combined with a feeling of helplessness.

&ldquo;He would often talk with me about the village poverty and the difference between him and his schoolmates,&rdquo; said Khule, who Vishal affectionately called Khule kaka (uncle). &ldquo;[Vishal] spoke of his parents&rsquo; troubles, and was resigned to the fact that this situation would never end.&rdquo;

During the Diwali holidays in recent years, Vishal and Vaibhav would help their father in the fields. In 2015, the kharif crops &ndash; mainly soybean &ndash; had failed. Though the lentils they grew fetched a good price, inadequate rainfall had affected the yields. Vishal&rsquo;s father planted green gram in winter, thanks to the state government&rsquo;s distribution of free seeds to struggling farmers. But the relief measure did not work, villagers said, as there was no water or moisture in the soil to nurture the crop.

With no work in the fields, Vishwanath Khule said, the brothers went to Akola over the school break with friends to find a job that would pay a daily wage&nbsp;but came back empty-handed. Vishal was upset that he could not afford a pair of new clothes for himself, says Khule kaka, or help his father with the cash crunch.

Vishal&rsquo;s was not the only suicide of its kind. Last October, Latur district, about 400 kilometres from Akola, reported a suicide by the 17-year-old daughter of a farmer, a student in junior college.

In her note, Swati Pitale explained in some detail why she was committing suicide. She could no longer suffer the plight of her father, she wrote in Marathi and didn&rsquo;t want to be a burden on him. She would soon be of marriageable age&nbsp;and didn&rsquo;t want her father to incur additional expenses on her wedding. In the note, she made a plea to the banks and moneylenders her father owed. She asked them not to harass her father, for, she said, he would surely repay his debts once her elder sister was married.

Swati had stopped attending college for a while, as her monthly bus pass had run out and her parents did not have the money to renew it. Her mother borrowed Rs. 260 for the pass from a neighbour, but Swati had missed crucial classes and wasn&rsquo;t able to take the exam.

According to reports in the local newspapers, when Swati consumed pesticide in her family&rsquo;s fields in the village of Kingaon, her father had left home for Karnataka, in search of work.

Back in Dadham, Vaibhav looks nervous. He says he must work to keep the firewood burning. At 18, he is now his father&rsquo;s last hope &ndash; and perhaps his only support.

This <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/this-is-the-darkest-period-of-our-life/#" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> was originally published on 07/ 05/2016 on the <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India</a>.

Photo Credit: Jaideep Hardikar

In the already distressed regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada, another tragedy has gone all but unnoticed: suicides by the children of debt-ridden farmers

What would Vishal do today, if he were alive? Perhaps the teenager would fly kites, or play with his friends. Maybe he’d work with his father on the family’s two-acre field or pick up an odd job for a daily wage as he occasionally did. He wanted new clothes, his parents remember. That’s all he had asked for. But Vishal Khule died last November, just 10 days after Diwali, by consuming a bottle of weedicide that his father had bought a few days earlier to spray on their crops. He was wearing a wrinkled white shirt and blue pants that day, the police report says. Vishal was not yet 16 years old. In Akola’s Dadham village: Vishal's father, Vishwanath Khule and his distraught mother Sheela (on the right); elder brother Vaibhav and their neighbour Jankiram Khule, Vishal’s ‘kaka’ (on the left) (Others) × “He collapsed here,” said his father, Vishwanath Khule, pointing to a spot beneath the window of the two-room shanty where the family lives. “His mother was in the adjoining kitchen, making chapatis. I was out there,” he added, gesturing toward the front yard. When her son collapsed with a thump, Sheela Khule rushed out to find Vishal lying on the floor, “a white fluid oozing out of his mouth.” The can of weedicide lay by his side, empty. Vishal died before reaching the hospital. Part of the two-room home where Vishal consumed a bottle of weedicide (Others) × “This is the darkest period of our life,” Vishwanath said. Dadham, with a population of 1,500, is among the poorest villages in this region. It is about 25 kilometres from Akola, a major city in western Vidarbha, Maharashtra’s cotton- and soybean-growing belt, which has been in the news since the mid-1990s for a continuing spell of farmers’ suicides. The region is reeling under successive years of drought and an agrarian crisis that has only gone from bad to worse. While the unabated spell of farmers’ suicides in rural Vidarbha and Marathwada, Maharashtra’s eastern and central regions, has been reported on and acknowledged by the government, a related tragedy has gone all but unnoticed: suicides by the young children of debt-ridden farmers. (Farmers’ children have taken their own lives in the past, but newspaper reports indicate that the incidence has spiked in the past two years.) While there is no specific data on suicides by children (under 18; or by youth under 20), in India as a result of agrarian distress, several studies and reports – from the 2005 door-to-door study commissioned by the Maharashtra government to subsequent studies on farm distress and suicides by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research – have pointed to the impact of debt and distress on children in peasant households. Many adolescent children of farmers inherit their parents’ debts and are forced to take on adult responsibilities, dropping out of school, tilling the fields, succumbing to depression, and for girls, being married off early so the family has one less mouth to feed. Over the past decade, this writer has documented several such suicides, particularly in households where a suicide has already occurred. Sometimes farmers’ children commit suicide because they fear that if they don’t, their parents will, a phenomenon is known as ‘altruistic suicide’. In one particularly poignant case in 2005, 19-year-old Neeta Bhopat hanged herself in Aasra village in Maharashtra. In a neatly written suicide note in Marathi, she said: “If I don’t commit suicide, my father will [take his own life]; my family can’t even earn a thousand rupees a month. I have two younger sisters. My parents can’t bear the burden of our marriages when we don’t have enough to eat. So I am taking my life.” Nobody should be held responsible for her decision, she wrote. Committing suicide was the only way she could relieve her parents of some of their tension. Scarcity and struggle With a few months to go before the next kharif (monsoon) crops sprout, Dadham is still coming to terms with Vishal Khule’s suicide. Severe water scarcity is already testing the villagers this summer. The entire vicinity is arid. Local newspaper reports suggest that the groundwater table has fallen alarmingly. Dadham has to wait for tankers to supply water every alternate day, or people must trek several kilometres to fetch drinking water. And as if this is not difficult enough, no work is available in the village. “This is the worst year” of a three-season drought, said Akola district collector G. Sreekanth in his office earlier this year. “We began preparing for the coming summer in September last [year],” he added, even before the 2015 monsoon had officially ended. Like many districts in the Marathwada, Vidarbha and western regions of Maharashtra last year, Akola district received only 60 per cent of its average annual rainfall of 692 mm. “That’s around 500 mm rains,” said Sreekanth, “which may not sound all that bad, but we got 400 mm of that in two days, on August 4 and 5.” This meant the fields flooded and rainwater could not percolate into the ground. Such a downpour and a long gap between rainy days is a new and alarming feature of the changing monsoon pattern, according to studies by the Indian Meteorological Department and Pune’s Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and other research institutions studying climatic aberrations. After August 5 last year, Akola didn’t see another drop of rain for 41 days, a devastatingly long dry spell. “Every crop failed: soybeans, cotton and tur,” the collector added. With no crops to sell, and domestic expenses and other exigencies to meet, the Khule family borrowed from moneylenders. According to their bank records, they also have unpaid bank loans of about Rs. 50,000 over the last five years. The Khules, who belong to the close-knit tribal Andh clan, are marginal peasant farmers. They have long been living hand-to-mouth, and Vishal Khule’s death has only made life more precarious. His mother barely speaks, recounts their neighbour, Jankinath Khule, who recently retired from the government service as a naib tehsildar (a minor-rank revenue official). Vishal’s two sisters, both married, are taking turns to return to the home to be with their mother, he said. Vishal’s elder brother, 18-year-old Vaibhav, has dropped out of school after Class 10 and has taken to working odd jobs. When her son collapsed with a thump, Sheela Khule rushed out of the kitchen to find Vishal lying on the floor (Others) × According to Jankinath Khule, a village elder, Vishal’s suicide was the culmination of his growing frustration with poverty, combined with a feeling of helplessness. “He would often talk with me about the village poverty and the difference between him and his schoolmates,” said Khule, who Vishal affectionately called Khule kaka (uncle). “[Vishal] spoke of his parents’ troubles, and was resigned to the fact that this situation would never end.” During the Diwali holidays in recent years, Vishal and Vaibhav would help their father in the fields. In 2015, the kharif crops – mainly soybean – had failed. Though the lentils they grew fetched a good price, inadequate rainfall had affected the yields. Vishal’s father planted green gram in winter, thanks to the state government’s distribution of free seeds to struggling farmers. But the relief measure did not work, villagers said, as there was no water or moisture in the soil to nurture the crop. With no work in the fields, Vishwanath Khule said, the brothers went to Akola over the school break with friends to find a job that would pay a daily wage but came back empty-handed. Vishal was upset that he could not afford a pair of new clothes for himself, says Khule kaka, or help his father with the cash crunch. Vishal’s was not the only suicide of its kind. Last October, Latur district, about 400 kilometres from Akola, reported a suicide by the 17-year-old daughter of a farmer, a student in junior college. In her note, Swati Pitale explained in some detail why she was committing suicide. She could no longer suffer the plight of her father, she wrote in Marathi and didn’t want to be a burden on him. She would soon be of marriageable age and didn’t want her father to incur additional expenses on her wedding. In the note, she made a plea to the banks and moneylenders her father owed. She asked them not to harass her father, for, she said, he would surely repay his debts once her elder sister was married. Swati had stopped attending college for a while, as her monthly bus pass had run out and her parents did not have the money to renew it. Her mother borrowed Rs. 260 for the pass from a neighbour, but Swati had missed crucial classes and wasn’t able to take the exam. According to reports in the local newspapers, when Swati consumed pesticide in her family’s fields in the village of Kingaon, her father had left home for Karnataka, in search of work. Back in Dadham, Vaibhav looks nervous. He says he must work to keep the firewood burning. At 18, he is now his father’s last hope – and perhaps his only support. This article was originally published on 07/ 05/2016 on the People's Archive of Rural India. Photo Credit: Jaideep Hardikar

'This is the darkest period of our life'

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