All articles tagged with #poverty
Worsening poverty in Iran is pushing more children into labor across sectors such as slaughterhouses, farms, and workshops, including hidden workplaces away from public view. Families rely on their kids’ earnings to survive, exposing them to health risks, malnutrition, violence and exploitation while they miss schooling, underscoring broader welfare weaknesses and rising unemployment.
Axios analysis of ACS data shows millions of Americans age 65+ are aging into poverty or near-poverty in suburbs outside major city cores, where limited transit, housing costs, and fewer services amplify financial strain and isolation. Poverty among seniors nationwide is about 11%–15% (roughly 3–5 million), with growth concentrated outside urban cores and the fastest rise among the 80+ demographic who require more paid care. Suburban infrastructure gaps mean even modest poverty rates affect many who have long lived in these communities, highlighting a national mismatch in housing, transit, and support services.
Plato argued that poverty comes from multiplying desires, not a fall in wealth, a view echoed by modern research showing happiness rises with income only up to a point before the hedonic treadmill erodes gains; the piece ties The Republic’s tripartite soul to today’s behavioral economics, and argues that addressing both material poverty and the internal sense of not having enough requires governance of appetite, not just more money.
On International Workers' Day, Gaza’s economy is crushed by more than two years of war: unemployment around 80%, poverty over 90%, and most residents reliant on humanitarian aid. Workers are taking dangerous, poorly paid jobs—like Ibrahim Abu al-Eish, who clears rubble for about 80 shekels a day to support a large displaced family, and Yousef al-Rifi, who bakes at a roadside stall for roughly 50 shekels a day—to survive as the blockade and damaged infrastructure hinder recovery.
Pope Leo XIV lands in Luanda, Angola, as part of an 11-day Africa tour focused on peace and social issues such as corruption and poverty. He will meet President João Lourenço and visit the Muxima shrine, highlighting Angola’s hopeful path after civil war despite rich oil and mineral resources. On the flight, he said it was not in his interest to debate Donald Trump about the US-Israeli war in Iran, framing his remarks within a broader message of peace.
UK Health Security Agency data show tuberculosis cases rose in recent years, with 5,424 cases in 2025 (up 25% from 2022), though 2024 had the highest total at 5,480; the disease mainly attacks the lungs and is linked to poverty, with the North East seeing the strongest rise; 65 drug-resistant TB cases were reported; experts urge rapid diagnosis and treatment to curb spread, noting TB’s historic toll on figures like Emily Brontë and George Orwell.
The Gaza Strip faces a severe economic and humanitarian crisis following Israel's war, with skyrocketing unemployment, widespread displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and a collapse of the local economy, leading to increased poverty and food insecurity among its residents.
A Venezuelan family returns home from the US due to deportation and economic hardship, facing poverty and unemployment during Christmas, highlighting the struggles of Venezuelan migrants amid changing US immigration policies.
China is heavily investing in automation and unmanned manufacturing to maintain its global manufacturing dominance and boost exports, despite domestic issues like rising poverty and unemployment. The country's focus on high-tech exports and supply chain control benefits the CCP's authority but exacerbates domestic inequality and social instability, with automation replacing many jobs and deepening poverty among vulnerable populations.
The 2026 Global Watchlist highlights Africa's severe crisis situation, with six of the top ten most affected countries facing conflicts, political instability, climate shocks, and economic stress, leading to widespread humanitarian needs and deepening poverty, amid a global aid shortfall and escalating violence.
An American in rural Oregon shares her struggles with food insecurity and reliance on SNAP benefits amid political turmoil, highlighting the hardships faced by low-income families and the broader issues of systemic exploitation and neglect.
Approximately 42 million Americans relying on SNAP benefits face potential cuts or delays due to the ongoing government shutdown, which could significantly impact low-income households, especially those with children, disabilities, or living in poverty, with the most vulnerable at risk of losing essential food assistance.
Pope Leo XIV condemns usury as a grave sin that exploits the vulnerable and corrupts the human heart, emphasizing the need for justice, mercy, and ethical economic practices to protect the poor and uphold human dignity, especially during the Jubilee Year.
Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of caring for the poor and addressing the structural causes of poverty in his first major document, continuing the priorities of his predecessor Francis and criticizing ideologies that promote market autonomy and financial speculation.
Pope Leo XIV's first major document, Dilexi Te, condemns elitism and indifference to the poor, emphasizing the church's role in advocating for social justice and the importance of caring for the marginalized, drawing heavily on Latin American liberation theology and historical church teachings.