Up to 23.4 million additional children are at risk of falling into poverty before the end of the year due to the global economic impact of the conflict in the Middle East, UNICEF warned this Thursday. The organization has released an analysis in which, even in its most favorable scenario, it estimates that at least 18.3 million minors will be exposed to monetary poverty due to the disruptions caused by the war.
The increase in the cost of food and energy, along with disruptions in maritime transport, is eroding household purchasing power, with particularly severe effects on children, the report on the repercussions of the War in the Middle East prepared by UNICEF emphasizes. The study, based on data from more than 167 countries, highlights how the global economic deterioration reduces families' spending capacity and pushes an increasing number of minors to the poverty threshold.
"Children are paying the price for the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, including those living far beyond the region," said Catherine Russell, UNICEF's Executive Director, who warns that the consequences of the conflict will worsen "the longer this situation continues."
"The rapid increase in costs is making it increasingly difficult for many families to access food and education. For children already living in poverty, these crises worsen already very difficult living conditions and can have lifelong consequences," she indicated.
UNICEF presents two possible scenarios for the evolution of poverty: an adverse one and an even more severe one. The adverse scenario, considered less negative, contemplates a moderate economic disruption that could push an additional 18.3 million children into poverty. The more severe scenario starts from more intense and lasting disruptions in prices and economic activity, and estimates that an additional 23.4 million minors would fall into monetary poverty if the war continues.
By geographical areas, the organization warns that the bulk of the increase in global monetary poverty is concentrated in Asia and Africa, which account for around 80% of the total increase linked to the worsening of the conflict in Iran, due to their high vulnerability to the rising cost of fuel and basic food products.