More than 70 million people presently live under the poverty line in the Arab world, revealed a recently published study by the deputy chief executive of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Abdulraziq Al-Farsi. The study also uncovered various similarities amongst Arab states in terms of causes for the poverty phenomenon, according to Al-Bayan daily.
For instance, the study revealed that the stability of economic reforms and security of funds played a major role in terms of poverty distribution. Moreover, poverty was found to be significantly higher amongst illiterate immigrants, whereas national residents of Arab countries enjoy a wide range of social services, including free or low-cost housing, health-care, loans and relatively high salaries.
The World Bank estimates that in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the number of people living on less than two dollars per day in the year 2000 stood at 20 to 30 percent of the population. — (Mena Report)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
