Global Scans · No Poverty · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

• [New] In 2021, the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan announced an EU headline target on poverty reduction: reducing the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030. Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
• [New] The EU anti-poverty strategy sets a clear path towards reaching the EU targets of reducing the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030, as well as helping end poverty by 2050. Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
• [New] UN Women notes estimates that closing the gender digital divide would improve the lives of 343.5 million women and girls, generate approximately US $ 1.5 trillion dollars by 2030, and lift 30 million out of poverty by 2050. Women's World Banking
• [New] At best, troop deployments in Latin America might temporarily suppress violence but do not address the structural drivers of crime, from poverty and inequality to generalized corruption. Foreign Affairs Magazine
• [New] The expansion of China's zero-tariff regime could increase African agricultural exports, which will help to elevate rural incomes, improve rural productivity, and ultimately to reduce hunger and poverty. BBC News
• [New] Even though time had passed, the dangers of intense radiation, mass displacement, poverty and lack of medical treatment continued to create intolerable conditions for the people of Belarus, Western Russia and the Ukraine. Electricity Info
• [New] Sticking with the current business-as-usual scenario risks building a country where people continue to live in some of Europe's leakiest buildings, and endure high levels of fuel poverty, deepening job insecurity and in-work poverty, and the undermining of efforts to reduce child poverty. The Scottish Beacon
• Starting in 2026, any enrollee with an income above 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL), roughly half of the 25 million current marketplace enrollees, will receive an automatic hardship exemption and may purchase catastrophic plans. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Poverty is expected to decline by approximately 1.5 percentage points per year, which could lift close to one million Burkinabe out of extreme poverty by 2028. Discovery Alert
• In the nearer term, i.e. up to 2050, many of the recommended measures to improve health systems and public health, such as investing in the health workforce, service delivery, and governance, and lifting people out of poverty, will help to mitigate the effects of heat. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Fiscal Commitment: The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs19,200 crore to the NRLM, reaffirming its status as India's premier rural poverty intervention. INSIGHTS IAS - Simplifying UPSC IAS Exam Preparation
• Increases in poverty rates were concentrated in the Levant and fragile countries (Sudan and Yemen), where baseline vulnerability is highest and shocks translate more strongly into welfare losses. Al Jazeera
• The US-Israel war on Iran and its ripple effect throughout the Middle East have had a devastating impact on Arab countries, with millions expected to slide into poverty. Al Jazeera
• Even if conflict is 'short but intense', countries like Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon will see significant increases in poverty rates. Al Jazeera
• Given the debt burdens and austerity already imposed on so many countries in the Global South, hundreds of millions more people will be pushed deeper into poverty and hunger. Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
• Continued fighting in the Middle East could cause global economic growth to slow, inflation to rise, and tens of millions of people to fall into poverty. Everything Briefing
• Enhancing measures to limit the increase in global temperatures could significantly progress toward many other SDGs, such as reducing poverty and hunger, increasing water availability, and protecting terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Scientific Research Publishing
• Multinational corporations with Asia-Pacific supply chains: The poverty surge and economic instability flagged by the UNDP translate directly into workforce disruption, demand volatility, and operational risk across manufacturing hubs and sourcing countries. Unbreakable Ventures
• In 2026, with recession risk elevated and household incomes under pressure, understanding the federal poverty guidelines is genuinely valuable financial knowledge. / USA US Recession News
• Prior to the conflict in Middle East, about 1.7 million people were projected to get out of poverty in 2026, but due to conflict, now only 0.5 million people can exit poverty. World Bank
• The World Bank's broader economic outlooks in early 2026 continued to emphasize that while the world economy has shown resilience, long-run growth remains weaker than what many countries need for poverty reduction and broad opportunity. SIU Swiss International University VBNN
• At a time when the African community is prioritizing energy security in the midst of the global energy transition, African green hydrogen projects will serve to meet dual goals of alleviating energy poverty while transitioning to sustainable energy sources. African Energy Chamber
• The threat of renewed conflict between Israel and the Lebanese nonstate armed group Hezbollah is growing, even as approximately 80% of Lebanon's population lives in poverty. The IRC

Last updated: 17 May 2026