December 22, 1992, the UN decided to designate October 17 every year as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty since 1993, calling on the public to pay attention to the global disparity in wealth and social class.

Taipei, Taiwan (Merxwire) - Although it is now the 21st century, most people's living and medical resources have improved, but the world's poor are still increasing due to factors such as epidemics and wars. Some people may think poverty is far away, but many people worldwide are hungry. On October 17, everyone should focus on global poverty, including how it violates human rights and dignity and how poor people struggle to survive.

The theme of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2022 is "Dignity For All in Practice" The dignity of any person is not only a fundamental right but the foundation of all other rights. The United Nations urges everyone to work toward peace, dignity, and equality.

According to the United Nations, more than 700 million people live in extreme poverty, accounting for 10% of the world's population. While that share fell from 36 percent in 1990 to 10 percent in 2015, the rate of decline has slowed.

The World Bank says poverty due to climate change and conflict should gradually decline, as the pandemic has strengthened both, reversing the world's efforts over the past 20 years. It is worth noting that this is also the first increase in extreme poverty since the 1997 financial crisis.

"Extreme poverty" means people living on less than $1.90 a day. The 2020 pandemic has led to an increase of about 88 million to 115 million people in extreme poverty worldwide, who cannot even meet the most basic living needs such as food, education, and medical care. Some people can't work or lose their jobs because of the pandemic, and even if they keep their jobs, the pay isn't necessarily enough to support them.

On the other hand, the conflict between the state and the people also increases the number of poor people. By the end of this year, 25 percent of Ukraine's population will be living in poverty, and by the end of next year, the figure could reach as high as 55 percent, said Arup Banerji, the World Bank's country director for Eastern Europe.

Poverty has several large effects, including hunger, homelessness, forced cessation of education, violent conflict, and poor sanitation. Taking Africa as an example, the hunger problem of local children has always been the focus of the world's attention. Where about 20% of children are malnourished, 40% of children cannot eat on time, and more than 90% of children do not meet the minimum dietary standards set by the World Health Organization.

Global prices and inflation rates are rising, and the gap between the rich and the poor is also widening, resulting in the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer, and even food security problems. In 2022, with the pandemic not over, conflicts and climate warming still unresolved, which make healthy diets unaffordable for nearly 40% of the world's population, people should come together to create a world where there is no hunger and where all people have dignity.