Linked to Sustainable Development Goal 1: The end of poverty
After the first week of class I was really shocked that there are so many factors that can have an influence on development, We've talked about several historical events happened in the past, that may improved or decreased development. Examples are; colonialism, industrialization, the digital age and world wars. The last one is nowadays, with the war between Russia and Ukraine, a very important aspect on development again. In the article, the author is writing about the negative impact the war can have on poverty and human well-being.
Even if the bullets stopped right away, it would still take years to recover from the devastation. That’s because war seeks to shatter the foundation of a society, fragmenting communities, destroying infrastructure, and undermining the economy and provision of social services. This explains the title; how war fuels poverty.
Only looking at poverty in an economic way; the Institute for Economics & Peace found that the ten most conflict-affected countries lost, on average 41% of their economic output as a result of violence. Also rebuilding in the aftermath of the conflict will consume huge sums of money.
But what we have also learned in class is that poverty has a much more broader meaning. Poverty also affects the basic necessities of life; think about food security, health, education and having a home. At this day, there are around 3 million refugees that have fled Ukraine, which leads to displace people from their homes and children can not go to school again. War also disrupts food systems by undermining food production, causing rapid inflation on food prices and preventing people from earning money to buy food. Conflict and hunger go hand in hand. But also looking worldwide, the war in Ukraine will have repercussions on the global food supply. The area around the Black Sea plays a major role in the world food system. Around 40 percent of the wheat and maize that Ukraine exports goes to the Middle East and Africa, where people are already facing hunger. Further food shortages or price increases could cause famine and social unrest. The poorest people are hit the hardest, as in any crisis.
Another aspect of the war that increases poverty, has to do with destroying infrastructure that supports daily life. Think about roads, water systems, energy storage centers and hospitals. Furthermore hospitals are also overloaded, and getting access to health care is no longer possible. For example, we saw a bombing of a children's hospital where women were giving birth or children who got their chemo in the midst of all the chaos. Another aspect that has a huge influence on development has to do with gender inequality. For example, (sexual) violence against women surges during conflicts as legas systems break down.
I could still give a lot more examples about how war literally fuels poverty; think about the government services, mental health, environmental issues and the increasing inequality between the rich and the poor. And the list goes on and on and on...
To summarize, nothing fuels poverty quite like war, which is catastrophic to human well-being. Therefore, I think it is important to contribute where necessary, and give your donation to Ukraine.
What do you think are other consequences and impacts of the war? And what do you think is the next step for development aid in Ukraine? Where should the main focus be?
Another interesting article that I recommend is:
Decades of progress on extreme poverty now in reverse due to Covid
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