International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

17 October 2012

image Villagers in Molia, Niger tend a community run garden that feeds 100 families. Credit: David Ohana/ OCHA.

Extreme poverty destroys the lives and spirit of people; it kills more children, young persons, and adults than any war. Every day, people living in extreme poverty are challenged and threatened by lack of food, shelter and access to essential services.

Recognizing that poverty is violence, the 2012 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty focuses on "Ending the violence of Extreme Poverty: Promoting empowerment and building peace".

Learn more about UNDP's work to reduce poverty >

Our Stories

image

Bringing financial services to the Pacific's poorest

Seventy-year-old Raj Dulari no longer has to travel long distances each month to collect her social welfare payment from the Nausori Post Office in Fiji. Nor does she have to wait in line, or worry that she might lose her allowance of US$32 if she does not collect it on time. Dulari, a widow who liv more

image

Nepal: Boosting entrepreneurship among poor rural women

Chitrakali Budhamagar began her career in 2003 collecting yarn made out of 'allo' (Himalayan nettle) and selling it in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. With the money she made selling yarn, she bought readymade garments to sell in her home village of Pyuthan, in the western part of the country. Born more

image

Tackling poverty through adaptation in Bangladesh

From sky to sea, Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climate change. Changing rainfall patterns, melting glaciers in the Himalayas, increased floods and storms, rising sea levels, all have an impact on Bangladesh, and in particular, on the poorest communities. Abdul Mazid, who lives in the flood-pro more

image

In the DRC, community centres help people learn to live again

In 2004, a 34-year-old widow in Congo named Maman Miriam* was raped by three armed men who slashed her genitals with a knife, leaving her with physical and emotional scars. She felt completely abandoned and unable to care for her three children. In 2010, she became one of the first people to benefit more

image

In Nicaragua, programme helps youth create businesses

As a child in Nicaragua, Leyli Siles studied, ran and played hide-and-seek just like any other little girl, even though she was deaf and born into a poor family. But by adolescence she began to feel that her hearing impairment was checking her aspirations. As the years went by, Siles became desponde more

Our Videos

SHARE SHARE
Message from Helen Clark
Helen
Helen Clark:

"Today, we do have reason to celebrate the progress made to eradicate extreme poverty, but we must continue to work together on its eradication.  I hope that the global development agenda beyond 2015 will reflect this level of ambition."

View full statement
Match Against Poverty 2012
thumbnail
Brazil to host the 10th edition of the Match Against Poverty, featuring Ronaldo, Zidane and other football stars

 

Learn more about the Match
Twitter