Rome (Italy). The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty proclaimed by the United Nations in 1992 is celebrated all over the world on 17th October. This year the theme on which to reflect and act will be: “Working together with the last to build an inclusive world for universal respect for human rights and the dignity of everyone “.
This day has an even more significant value this year as 10 December 2018 will recur 70 years after the proclamation of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and for this reason it is increasingly important to underline the fundamental connection between extreme poverty and human rights as the people who live in extreme poverty are the first victims of the violation of human rights.
According to data from the UN September 2018 report, 821 million people are suffering from hunger (1 in 9 people), of which 515 million are in Asia alone and 265.5 million in Africa, while more than 151 million are under five years have delays in growth (of these 39% live in Africa and 55% in Asia).
The causes of this situation are certainly to be found in the impact of climate variability and extreme weather events, but also in conflicts and economic crises.
The alarming figures concerning hunger in the world therefore require immediate and effective actions if we really want to achieve the Zero Hunger Development Goal by 2030.
As Pope Francis said: “Misery is not a fatality: it has causes that must be recognized and removed, to honor the dignity of so many brothers and sisters” and for this purpose VIDES International and the FVGS Onlus Foundation operate every day through their development projects and distance support for so many children in the world with the aim of guaranteeing to people in a situation of vulnerability their rights such as the right to food, medical care, education, and a dignified life.
“Work with the last to build an inclusive world for the universal respect of human rights and the dignity of everyone”.
