September 16, 2019
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UNDP

United States of America

Eradication of Poverty

 

Nearly one half of the world’s population, over 3 billion people, live in poverty today. One billion of these people are merely children. Poverty is a matter that has been of concern for decades now. The United Nations passed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its first goal is to end poverty. According to recent estimates in 2013, the number of people living in poverty reduced from 35% in 1990 to 10.7% in 2013. 10.7% of the world’s population was living off of $1.90 a day. Making that number zero is very much within our reach. The effects of poverty on people, relationships, and communities is deeply saddening. Over 10,000 children die every day because they live in poor housing. Most of these children are unable to attain a proper education and thus do not have the means to lift themselves out of it. Poverty can lead to extreme hunger, thirst, and illness. Worst of all, this causes crimes to increase, as desperation and hopelessness are manifested in violence. Eradicating poverty is not a new desire that the world is beginning to notice. The United States believes that this issue must be addressed from the root causes, not only the short term solutions, to aid the poor right now. 

In 2018, 38.1 million people in the United States lived in poverty. Poverty strikes every demographic differently, with women being 13% and men being 10%. Nevertheless, these millions of people suffered and the United States knows the impact of poverty on our nation. In the United States, even for those who are trying to shape a new life, the lack of health care, education, unemployment, and even greater exposure to crime and drugs are major causes of the poverty levels. The US Department of Housing and Development found that more than half a million Americans lack permanent shelter, or are homeless, which is the worst form of poverty. According to the US Department of Agriculture, over 13 million children lack adequate food supply. Outbreaks of violence are often due to the hopelessness these Americans feel. The United States takes conscious efforts to provide government programs to keep Americans out of poverty. The Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit kept 9.2 million families from falling into poverty in 2010. Food stamps also lift another 3 million out of it. The United States has enough experience tackling and bringing down the amount of poverty in a developed nation that would be useful for this committee. 

 

The United States believes that in order to eradicate poverty, it is necessary for us to educate, employ, and empower. Companies are starting to focus efforts in the communities in which they operate, making it a priority to offer free education or jobs to the underprivileged. The United States is actively looking at our tax codes, so that we may offer incentives for companies that are making an impact. We want to educate people, not only for creating awareness, but also to educate the next generation. Finally, empowerment of the underprivileged is always necessary. Oprah Winfrey, whose net worth is in the billions today, brought herself up from nothing. These kinds of people must go around and inspire the poor. By finding local organizations as well, the work that we do globally can start to make more of an impact at a lower level. This will allow those who are in poverty to be able to get the right information and have equal access to opportunities. Partnering with organizations like CARE and World Vision can help aid this process. Eradicating poverty is more than just offering smiles and hope; it is instead a comprehensive plan that will require work but will be rewarding.

 

Works Cited

 

https://www.povertyusa.org/facts

 

https://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/what-we-do/building-and-renovating-homes/effects-of-poverty/

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2018/10/01/fighting-poverty-america-slowing-despite-recent-economic-recovery/1445296002/

 

https://www.debt.org/faqs/americans-in-debt/poverty-united-states/

 

  • Sharanya Swaminathan

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