The 10 poorest countries in the world are African . In fact, three-quarters of the 48 least developed are on that continent. The problem remains unsolved because there are no financial resources and the birth rates are very high. That causes many children to die of hunger or from diseases that rarely make an appearance in a developed country such as Spain.
The UN (United Nations Organization) has drawn up the list taking into account a series of variables that are essential when quantifying the wealth of a country. I am referring to GDP (Gross Domestic Product), GDP per capita, life expectancy, the percentage of the population living below the poverty line, CO2 emissions per capita, the percentage of the population enrolled in education primary school and the total population of the country.
1- Central African Republic
It is in the heart of Africa and represents how badly millions of people are having it. One in four inhabitants have had to leave the country because of the war, and worst of all, there are children who have been forced to work as if they were soldiers and have become sex slaves .
2- Burundi
Bujumbura, the country’s capital, witnessed a coup attempt to end the term of Pierre Nkurunziza , who is now serving his third term. The protests in the street do not stop and more than 300,000 people cannot live without humanitarian aid. The situation is unsustainable and it is likely to become the poorest country in the world in the next few years if things do not change.
3- Democratic Republic of the Congo
It is surprising that a country like the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to almost half a million refugees . It is a very poor country on an economic level, but not on a human level. They are living in a humanitarian emergency situation.
4- Liberia
Thousands of refugees from South Sudan have traveled to Liberia to take refuge in one of the refugee camps they have set up to help those fleeing the war. The hope is called George Weah , a former Milan footballer who has become the new president of Liberia. Of course, he will have a lot of work ahead of him, since he will govern in a country without infrastructure that has not yet recovered from the civil wars that have taken place there. In addition, it must not be forgotten that it is one of the territories where Ebola has done the most damage.
5- Niger
Although not a few Nigerians decide to cross the border to live in Niger, the truth is that the fifth poorest country on the planet is not a very safe place to live. The mafias profit from the trafficking of immigrants who decide to leave that country behind to have a chance in Europe. That is why Italy, which is where the majority of Nigerians who emigrate land, has committed to deploying a military mission to end this serious problem that adds to that of poverty.
6- Malawi
More than half of Malawi’s population lives below the poverty line. Millions of people try to survive on less than 35 euros a month , an amount that they cannot even feed themselves with. That is why it is not difficult to photograph malnourished children who are victims of the corruption that plagues the country. If to that we add that the country’s currency has been devalued, making the cost of living more expensive, it is normal that it is the sixth poorest country in the world.
7- Mozambique
Lack of funding jeopardizes the food supply and cholera epidemics exacerbate the situation. In the last two years, there have been two epidemics that have killed thousands of people. Despite this, hundreds of refugees choose Mozambique to escape the war.
8- Equatorial Guinea
In the former Spanish colony, in which some 700,000 inhabitants live, the poverty rate is above 75%. However, that hasn’t stopped veteran Teodoro Obiang from getting richer and richer. The president of the country, a military man by profession who participated in the coup d’Ă©tat of August 3, 1979, continues to campaign at ease thanks to the maintenance of his dictatorship.
9- Eritrea
Every year, thousands of people from Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia flee those countries to live in the other country that is part of the so-called Horn of Africa : Eritrea. Well, it is not known why, since their quality of life does not usually improve. The poverty rate is 69%.
10- Guinea-Bissau
Although the extreme poverty of Africa has moved from the Atlantic coast to the center of the continent, the truth is that there are still countries like Guinea-Bissau that do not seem to see their situation improved. Growth plans are lacking and expectations are not very optimistic.
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