The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to push as many as 150 million more people into extreme poverty by 2021, the World Bank says, marking the first time in 20 years that the number of those in such poverty will rise. The pandemic “compounds the forces of conflict and climate change”…
Africans from four nations who live in poverty but are making progress are among those featured in a new blog post from billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates. “What’s life like on less than $2 a day? While I can quote many statistics about trends in poverty, it’s difficult for most of us—especially…
The World Bank’s 2018 Year in Review report offers insights on global trends, with 14 charts to present the visual data – and the African continent is at the center of a few key metrics as we head into 2019. “Extreme poverty is at the lowest level in recorded history…
A nationwide general strike Wednesday in South Africa drew thousands of protesters, with marches in at least six cities including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The strike, coordinated by the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), meant to “bring South Africa to a standstill” over the country’s economic plight,…
Zambia’s commitment to economic development through agribusiness has a dark side, and it’s bringing hardship to rural communities and smallholders who are forced from land where they have lived and farmed for decades. That’s according to a new Human Rights Watch report based on interviews with more than 130 affected…
When Teref Kassahun was interviewed by LeMonde Afrique in June, the member of the popular all-female Ethiopian music group “Yegna” shared an observation that the rest of the world likely never sees. “Most of them knew only our voices,” Kassahun said, describing a tour of Ethiopian villages where she learned…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The World Bank announced yesterday that they predict that global poverty is likely fall below 10 per cent this year. Jim Yong Kim, World Bank Group president, made a statement on Sunday saying “This is the best story in the world today — these projections show us that we are…