- In 2010, 46.9 million people were in poverty, up from 37.3 million in 2007 -- the fourth consecutive annual increase in the number of people in poverty . This is the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty rates have been published.
Is there any race of ethnicity that is hit hardest by poverty?
-The 2010 poverty rate for Hispanics was 26.6 percent, for Blacks 27.4 percent. Minorities and young people are most affected by poverty. It comes a week before the government releases first-ever economic data that will show more Latinos as well as elderly and working-age poor have fallen into poverty.The newest residents in these ghettos are now more likely to be Latino, who have more than tripled their share in the neighborhoods, to 21 percent.
Just over 7 percent of all African-Americans nationwide now live in traditional ghettos, down from 33 percent in 1970.
What steps can be taken to end or at least reduce the number of families in poverty?
-Improving governance structures can ensure that decision-making works in favour of the world’s poorest people. At present, most discussions about governance are framed in terms of corruption. Rather than treating the problem of corruption as an excuse to stop investing in development efforts, we need to get behind those working in communities to counter corruption: by holding local leaders to account, increasing transparency, and ensuring that laws are applied.We need to make sure that aid that’s given – whether through donations to charities or taxes to government – is spent on programs that really work. Extreme poverty ends when local communities can trade their way to a better future. The amazing poverty alleviation that we have seen in the past generation has been led by countries who have joined global markets.
http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/us_hunger_facts.htm
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