International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

October 17 is a day devoted to the combat against extreme poverty. The international day against poverty thus gives those living in destitution the opportunity to express themselves, bringing together millions of people around the world and mobilizing them to act against extreme poverty.

The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to October 17, 1987. On that date, more than 100,000 people gathered in Paris, France, to honor the victims of extreme poverty, violence, and hunger. Since that moment, individuals and organizations worldwide observed October 17 as a day to renew their commitment to collaborating towards eradicating poverty. In December 1992, the UN General Assembly officially declared October 17 as the date for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (resolution 47/196 of December 22, 1992).

Indeed, some regions are still greatly affected by poverty, particularly in areas in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where 85% of the world’s poor people live.

The scenario of Bangladesh is almost the same. Most of the people in rural areas are living below the poverty line. In the urban areas, there’re a huge number of people are living in slums and they’re living in extreme poverty.

ADRA in Bangladesh is working relentlessly to help people in terms of developing their economic condition. ADRA patronizes underprivileged people to engage themselves in various types of Income Generating Activities (IGA) so they can earn money by adopting specific skills.

Governments must act decisively, in partnership and in solidarity with people living in poverty, to effectively address the impending global economic downturn that now threatens to erase part of the gains in reducing poverty and stall efforts to fight climate change and environmental degradation.