Absolute Poverty in the Third World

Absolute poverty is defined as the theory of staying hunger because foods are limited among everyone, becoming ill yet unable to see a doctor because health care is not available, and being aloof from education due to the lack of opportunities. Absolute poverty is the worst degree of poverty and it often happens in under-developed countries which are referred to as ‘the Third World’. According to World Poverty by Justin Healey, absolute poverty kills over eight million lives every year and it remains as one of the global issues that has greatly impacted our society throughout history. The causes, effects and solutions of absolute poverty will all be discussed in this essay. There are many reasons as to the causes of absolute poverty. Colonialism, war and conflicts, education, empowerment, structural adjustment, corruption and elitism are some examples. However, I think that war and conflicts; corruption and elitism; and structural adjustment are the three major causes of absolute poverty.
War and conflicts happen more frequently in the third world countries when inequity exists among certain groups of people, which results in the desperation of lands, foods and rights. Countries that are always at war spend an enormous amount of money on war efforts, which would otherwise be circulated into the economy and the development of an individual country. War and conflicts affect hundreds of thousands of innocent lives across the world. Consequently, absolute poverty is an outcome of it as homes and health care systems are destroyed. Many are helpless with the spread of diseases and illnesses such as malaria, AIDS/HIV and cholera. ‘War does not determine who is right - only who is left.’ – Bertrand Russell Afghanistan is a good example of a country which is beset with war and poverty. The population has been struggling since war started nearly three decades ago. To date the country remains as one of the poorest and least developed countries in