Poverty is a major problem within the developing world. The developing world holds 75% of the world’s population yet only 20% of the world’s wealth. This presents a problem and the shortage of money leads them into the vicious circle of poverty, where one factor leads to another and eventually the situation spirals to terrible extents.
Natural disasters plunge developing world countries and less economically developed countries. For example the heavy flooding that wreaked havoc on the inhabitants of Mozambique and the Gujarat earthquake disaster of early 2001. The disasters cause poverty because these countries are often weak financially and cannot afford to restore their country after extensive damage. Therefore due to lack of resources the situation gets worse. It affects their inhabitant’s lives causing a lack of production leading to being unable to provide for citizens. In turn leading to poverty, as they cannot even provide substances to trade and lose money. Other factors that affect the lives of citizens are lack of clean water and standard education. Lack of medical aid also affects the country badly. An ill and uneducated workforce forms the basis of a weak, demoralised nation. These factors also lead to poverty.
Frequently, when a country in the developing world is struggling economically they appeal for aid from organisations like the international monetary fund or the World Bank. They are issued loans from developed countries like the USA and England at a high rate of interest. They are required to pay over time, but the interest rates are so high that the country often finds itself in further debt than before the loan. This problem is defined as world debt. Suggestions made recently have been that all debt to be paid by the developing world should be written off and a fresh start made. However the problem of world debt increases every day as interest rates on loans increase.
The above factors pose problems for the developing world, as being already financially weak, they find it hard to overcome these problems and fall further into debt and poverty. All the factors are linked. For example, world debt will mean a lot of poor people who cannot provide an acceptable living standard for them. They become ill and illiterate and again the country cannot recover as it has a weak workforce. Therefore the countries are kept in poverty.
Muslims have the idea that no-one in the world should be in poverty, people who are rich should give money to the poor so the entire world can be equal
Christians think that people should have to work for their money but also be helped if they are in poverty.
I think that unless you are in poverty due to unchangable circumstances such as natural disasters or deaths of loved ones then you should have to work for yourself and not rely on others.