EXTREME POVERTY HAS DECLINED IN MIDDLE EAST, SAYS UNITED NATIONS REPORT
Inequality, Unemployment, Social Malaise Growing Challenges
Although the Middle East and North Africa registered sharp declines in extreme poverty during the 1981-2001 period, the United Nations “Report on the World Social Situation 2005: the Inequality Predicament”, released Thursday, warns that inequalities persist and threaten development strides.
The share of people in the region living on less than one dollar (6 DKR) a day declined from 5 per cent in 1981 to 2 per cent in 2001, and the share of people living on less than two dollar a day fell from 29 per cent to 23 per cent.
At the same time, however, per capita income levels in the Middle East and North Africa have been steadily declining relative to the average per capita income in the wealthier Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.
Between 1980 and 2001, income levels in the Middle East and North Africa decreased from 9,7 to 6,7 per cent of the average per capita income of the OECD.
The decline in the ratios indicates not that per capita income in developing regions has decreased in absolute terms, but that per capita income has grown faster in the richer regions than in the poorer ones, widening the inequality gap.
Inequality also characterizes the global employment situation, the Report says. In developed countries as a group, the unemployment rate fell from around 8 per cent in 1993 to 6,8 per cent in 2003, but much of the developing world experienced stagnating or rising unemployment.
The region with the highest levels of unemployment, which remained relatively stable during the 1993-2003 decade, was the Middle East and North Africa with 12,2 per cent.
In 2000, more than 100 countries were experiencing “youth bulges”, where young people between the ages of 15 and 24 comprise at least 40 per cent of the national population.
Youth bulges, which are associated with high levels of unemployment (25 per cent youth unemployment in the Middle East in 2003), poverty and inequality, increase the likelihood of conflict within countries.
The Middle East, as a region, also has one of the highest shares of its population below the age of 15 years, and the number of youth entering the labour market over the next 15 years is expected to increase.
The lack of work opportunities may cause increased frustration, especially if expectations have been raised through expansions in education. The incapacity of a country to integrate young people into the economic landscape has a profound impact on the country as a whole, with effects ranging from the rapid growth of the informal economy to increased instability.
The strong link between poverty and lack of access to services is apparent in health-related inequalities, the Report says. For instance, the number of people living with HIV has been rising in every region, but in most of Europe and North America significant progress is being made in controlling the epidemic and in lowering mortality rates.
In North Africa and the Middle East, adults and children living with HIV numbered 540.000 in 2004. Adults and children newly infected with HIV numbered 92.000, and adult and child deaths due to AIDS 28.000.
Some 250.000 women aged 15-49 years were living with HIV, representing 57 per cent of adults aged 15-49 years living with the virus. Many of the new infections have been attributed to injecting drug use and low rates of condom use among sex workers.
Because the percentage of adult HIV prevalence in the region is relatively low at 0,3 per cent, and because the epidemic is still in its early stages, there is a good chance that effective prevention efforts can halt the spread of the virus.
Inequalities are often accompanied by social malaise, the report says. In many countries, there is a widespread feeling that socio-economic needs are not being addressed.
Few believe that State institutions act in their best interests, and many are dissatisfied with their economic situation. Negative perceptions of future prospects can leave many discouraged, making it difficult to ensure their participation in the progress of their societies.
This is often accompanied by a general sense of insecurity. In an international survey conducted in 2004 by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum, 45 per cent of the respondents felt that the next generation would live in a less safe world, while only 25 per cent believed that the world would be a safer place.
Respondents in the Middle East and Western Europe were the most pessimistic about future security.
Increased efforts are required to integrate all segments of society in political life, the Report says.
It is imperative that all individuals have equal access and opportunities to participate in the political process; not only for the sake of justice, but also to ensure that full advantage is taken of a countrys human resources and to promote peace and stability.
Involving people in making decisions that affect their daily lives and well-being will significantly reduce the risk of conflict.
For further information, please contact Roberto Guimaraes in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Tel. (917) 367-2190, e-mail: [email protected].
