MOSCOW, October 18 (RIA Novosti) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty that the number of people living on less than $2 a day is estimated at 2.4 Billion after the 2008 financial crisis.
"One in every five persons in developing regions — 1.22 billion people — live on less than $1.25 a day, and 2.4 billion live on less than $2 a day. Since the beginning of the financial crisis, inequality has grown even more pronounced than it was already," Ban said in an official statement Friday.
Ban Ki-Moon also added that one of the Millennium Development Goal targets on poverty has been reached.
"We have reached the Millennium Development Goal target of halving the proportion of people living in poverty ahead of time. At least 700 million people were lifted out of extreme poverty between 1990 and 2010," Secretary-General announced.
Ban concluded his statement by urging the UN member-countries to unite in the fight against poverty. "I urge Member States and all partners to act decisively together to eradicate poverty and build a sustainable, peaceful, prosperous and equitable future for all. Our aim must be prosperity for all, not just a few."
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed since 1993 following a UN General Assembly resolution on promoting awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution.
