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Poverty in the Middle East
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Poverty and Hunger in the Middle East
YEMEN: Marginalised community gets flood relief aid
About 100 Akhdam families (700 individuals) were among the most vulnerable people affected by the floods, according to Andrew Knight, UNHCR Yemen's external relations officer. They have received durable shelters from UNHCR. The provision of such shelters for flood-victims in Hadhramaut and al-Mahrah governorates, southeastern Yemen, began about seven months after the floods, which left 80 dead and 25,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), mostly in Hadhramaut Governorate, according to the government and a UN rapid assessment mission. “The Akhdam were living in houses made of mud, sticks, stones, cardboard and plastic. But they were destroyed by the floods,” Knight told IRIN. “The tragedy of the floods provided UNHCR with an opportunity to help and assist the people of Yemen in their hour of need which, in light of all the support that Yemenis have given to refugees over the years, is really the least the UNHCR can do,” Knight said. Knight said a few of the 25,000 IDPs were living in tents provided by UNHCR, but most were living either with their relatives or in accommodation rented by local NGOs. UNHCR had also distributed relief items including mattresses, blankets, jerry cans, soap, tents, mosquito nets, sanitary napkins, plastic sheeting and kitchen sets. Funded by the Canadian government and implemented by Oxfam (UK), UNHCR has also begun a livestock project for flood victims in Hadhramaut, targeting 400 women heads of household in the most affected areas. Families were provided with cash grants to help them buy goats, according to Knight.
New housing units
source: http://www.irinnews.org
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Absolute Poverty In developing countries, poor and needy people spend up to 80 % of their disposable income on food. There is no buffer to modify their food costs. Those who always lived on the edge of starvation have been tipped over that edge by spiraling prices. Economic theory known as Engel’s Law notes that the proportion of a nation’s income spent on food is a good measure of the nation’s welfare. This is part of an article from the July issue of Spotlight on Orphans newsletter. Read Spotlight on Orphans newsletters to see how Hearth to Hearth Ministries is fighting poverty in Africa by working to feed hungry children.
Poverty in America The US is now in a depression and the poverty rate of poverty in America is probably much worse now.
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