Global poverty worries Zambian envoy

EXTREME poverty affecting the majority of people in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia regions is worrying, Zambia's deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Christine Kalamwina has observed.

Ms Kalamwina informed the UN that a population of more than 700 million people was living in extreme poverty with the majority in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia regions.

This is contained in a statement issued yesterday to the Daily Nation by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian UN mission, Wallen Simwaka.

Ms Kalamwina attributed the high poverty levels globally to effects of climate change, which have resulted in extreme weather conditions such as drought, rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns.

Speaking at the 56th session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development in New York, Ms Kalamwina said effects of climate change had negatively been impacting on the livelihoods of vulnerable groups, especially female-headed households, persons with disabilities and the aged.

The theme of the 56th Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development is; "Strategies for eradicating poverty to achieve sustainable development for all."

Ms Kalamwina said poverty in Zambia, like many other countries across the globe as well as in the Sub-Saharan Africa had remained the greatest challenge to national development.

She observed that Zambia like other developing countries had continued to face high levels of unemployment, especially among the youths and Government, had since placed strong emphasis on job creation.

She told the United Nations that while Zambia had over the years been enjoying a positive economic growth, rural poverty has remained as high as 76.6 percent compared to only about 23.4 percent in urban communities.