http://www.wsws.org/topics/economyCategory/eco-ineq/ http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/02/26/sani-f26.html Lack of sewerage treatment contributes to contamination problems for the majority of the world’s population. Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/8bdf5bc6-d6ea-4d79-9aa2-59508124835L/sani-f26.html 2013-02-26T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/02/01/wome-f01.html The global financial crisis has taken a heavier toll on the basic conditions of girls and women when compared to the world’s population as a whole. Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/0540afd6-44aa-4347-a880-33048243ebcN/wome-f01.html 2013-02-01T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/01/11/pers-j11.html The world’s 100 richest people increased their wealth by $241 billion in 2012. Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/81d8eb29-1c07-438f-bf47-fc60bf260dcN/pers-j11.html 2013-01-11T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/10/nzpv-o25.html Two recent reports detail the falling incomes of working people and rising levels of poverty, especially among children. Thu, 25 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/1335ddc1-01e6-4cf3-b3eb-175ba8bacb1N/nzpv-o25.html 2012-10-25T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/08/nzri-a07.html The wealthiest New Zealanders have not suffered from the austerity drive being imposed on the working class. Tue, 07 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/d27617f2-41e6-4153-9d16-fa1755e046aN/nzri-a07.html 2012-08-07T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/07/olym-j27.html The Royal Dock complex, adjacent to London’s financial district at Canary Wharf, is hosting up to one hundred super yachts, including twenty of the world’s most opulent, as the Olympic Games begin. Fri, 27 Jul 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/6cadd5d3-3193-457f-b74a-5151e9971d5F/olym-j27.html 2012-07-27T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/07/rich-j26.html The super-rich are currently hiding away between $21 trillion and $32 trillion in tax havens such as Switzerland or the Cayman Islands. Thu, 26 Jul 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/b606951f-0260-401b-aa91-6a8d87ecaafI/rich-j26.html 2012-07-26T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/06/pers-j28.html As governments throughout the world close schools, lay off workers and slash support to the poor, old and sick, the financial oligarchy that rules the world increases its wealth and power. Thu, 28 Jun 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/ac77ef37-afe2-4ffc-84f9-ceb21f7f38fJ/pers-j28.html 2012-06-28T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/02/dick-f23.html A comment on the celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of English novelist Charles Dickens. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/b094a529-6e6b-473a-8a5c-a7ee779fdc3E/dick-f23.html 2012-02-23T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/02/maln-f17.html Save the Children warns that half a billion children around the world could grow up physically and mentally stunted over the next 15 years due to chronic malnutrition. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/518af3d5-641a-46fa-8bdf-b2ecce77b0cB/maln-f17.html 2012-02-17T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/02/appl-f07.html Apple’s Supplier Responsibility Progress Report is a cynical public relations exercise designed to whitewash the company’s image. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/b0dce554-e0a8-4937-9a9d-b72e2b18e27H/appl-f07.html 2012-02-07T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/01/pers-j28.html A new factor has entered the scene—the re-emergence of the international working class as exemplified in the Egyptian revolution and the ongoing social struggles around the world. Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/de30d4c2-29ff-478a-913d-54397888319F/pers-j28.html 2012-01-28T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/09/rich-s17.html The burgeoning list of billionaires has put China ever closer to the United States as the largest home of the super-rich, even as China’s average per-capita income ranks just 94th in the world. Sat, 17 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/55001bd7-f3c3-4dcd-b766-c0b8e2b2556H/rich-s17.html 2011-09-17T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/07/life-j21.html The rich are living sometimes eleven years longer than workers in the poorest areas of Britain. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/1a9d61a8-e30f-4a63-add0-5d106970e4fM/life-j21.html 2011-07-21T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/07/germ-j13.html The government in Berlin comes in for sharp criticism in a United Nations report on the social situation in Germany. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/a7a9d46d-8901-4809-8aca-8d59196aadeL/germ-j13.html 2011-07-13T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/06/clim-j11.html Record levels of greenhouse gas emission constitute a damning indictment of the capitalist system. Sat, 11 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/aba07503-5a03-4dfb-b03b-2b97f6eceafL/clim-j11.html 2011-06-11T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/06/food-j10.html The international development charity Oxfam issued a report this month highlighting the growing global food crisis. Fri, 10 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/5196e16e-9c3b-4cc4-b6c4-f1b5e15b107P/food-j10.html 2011-06-10T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/06/ukin-j07.html It was only weeks ago that the Sunday Times Rich List revealed how the international super-rich who reside in the UK have over the past two years fully restored their levels of wealth to pre-2008 levels. Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/2e494553-baf0-4b6b-9606-18dcae485abF/ukin-j07.html 2011-06-07T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/05/pers-m21.html In the midst of the Strauss-Kahn crisis, a World Bank report pointed to vast shifts underway in the structure of the world economy, which indicate that the conflict over the IMF leadership is just one of many to come. Sat, 21 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/29b1bcaf-4f77-4790-a02b-feeb65cb809G/pers-m21.html 2011-05-21T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/04/shan-a05.html Amid Shanghai’s commercial opulence, there is grinding poverty and deprivation on an even greater scale in this city of 20 million people. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/64bc87d3-fd27-453f-9c3d-ac41c8179daO/shan-a05.html 2011-04-05T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/03/kong-m17.html Social discontent in Hong Kong has been fuelled by a sharp rise in home prices and rents, which have doubled in the last five years. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/b47eabba-de0b-41b3-8617-afadaf26200F/kong-m17.html 2011-03-17T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/03/hong-m17.html Protestors took to the streets in downtown Hong Kong on March 6 to oppose the government’s budget, which will further enrich the financial elite. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/3b3836a6-7fa4-405d-ac28-825e7e505f2D/hong-m17.html 2011-03-17T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/12/cana-d09.html A study published last week shows that social inequality in Canada has now reached levels unseen since the 1920s, with the richest 1 percent of Canadians appropriating 13.8 percent of all market income. Thu, 09 Dec 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/f1f7b022-c2ab-4536-a6ff-3ce2cc223d2G/cana-d09.html 2010-12-09T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/11/food-n27.html A United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report published this month warns that food price increases are “dangerously close” to crisis level. Sat, 27 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/bb9627fd-6503-4011-95e2-6a2728e0ef3L/food-n27.html 2010-11-27T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/09/pers-s28.html European Commissioner Laszlo Andor described 2010 as an “annus horribilis” for unemployment, but warned that “2011 may still turn out to be the annus horribilis for social cohesion”. Tue, 28 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/d2c909d7-5b5a-429a-9dbb-cee3c6456ecP/pers-s28.html 2010-09-28T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/09/pers-s23.html The “poverty summit” that concluded at the United Nations Wednesday only underscored capitalism’s responsibility for conditions of desperate poverty and hunger which have deepened worldwide as a result of the global financial crisis. Thu, 23 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/346e6bcb-5587-4946-9e6d-481d6932154E/pers-s23.html 2010-09-23T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/07/pers-j08.html A new report reveals that in the wake of the most serious economic crisis since the 1930s, European governments are continuing to cut corporate taxes while increasing the tax burden on the working population. Thu, 08 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/a0c7585b-bc73-4ca4-8409-8e6a05df8b4H/pers-j08.html 2010-07-08T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/05/egyp-m13.html On May 11, the Egyptian parliament approved a presidential decree extending the state of emergency for a further two-year period. Thu, 13 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/7dc0c7c3-a599-4e03-9e3b-b05b6a15fa4N/egyp-m13.html 2010-05-13T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/05/oecd-m05.html The worldwide economic crisis has thrown tens of millions of workers—especially those in the youngest and oldest cohorts—into permanent unemployment Wed, 05 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/e651f084-f859-49f8-a35a-3d122623e8aJ/oecd-m05.html 2010-05-05T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/04/rich-a29.html The latest annual Sunday Times Rich List reveals a massive increase in the wealth of Britain’s super-rich. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/135470f4-34c4-4d59-ab64-ed3ceb9496dE/rich-a29.html 2010-04-29T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/03/ceo1-m17.html The chief executives of the companies and banks listed in the German stock exchange index DAX pocketed millions in 2009 despite the economic crisis and a sharp slump in industrial production. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/a8f2840f-5272-4653-bda0-ef90f3d7460I/ceo1-m17.html 2010-03-17T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/03/forb-m12.html The world’s billionaires saw their wealth grow by 50 percent last year, and their ranks swell to 1,011, from 793, according to the latest Forbes list of billionaires. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/5900f08e-072a-45de-983d-27af7e8df47H/forb-m12.html 2010-03-12T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/02/pers-f25.html With the eruption of the European sovereign debt crisis, a new category has emerged in the bourgeois press—“profligate countries.” Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/5285669a-df33-4206-9e33-15e881198c1H/pers-f25.html 2010-02-25T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/02/ineq-f06.html A report commissioned by the Labour government shows how its pro-business agenda during its 13 years in office has led to a dramatic increase in inequality. Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/4757764e-9e22-469b-abb0-121482341c6F/ineq-f06.html 2010-02-06T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/12/suic-d15.html Earlier this month, a London Coroner’s Court heard that on June 13 this year, Christelle Pardo leapt from the sixth-floor balcony of her sister’s flat in Hackney, east London, holding her five-month-old son Kayjah in her arms. Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/18a193bc-2ccd-4b80-b30d-27efb41148bP/suic-d15.html 2009-12-15T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/11/hung-n18.html The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation abandoned its hunger reduction targets in advance of the World Food Summit on Food Security that opened in Rome on November 16. Instead, it will now aim “to take action towards sustainably eradicating hunger at the earliest possible date.” Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/e4b9e82e-cdc2-43d1-8161-50fe5246e51K/hung-n18.html 2009-11-18T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/11/food-n17.html The opening of the Food Summit in Rome revealed the indifference of major world leaders toward famine. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/edb71306-5767-4a01-b4c7-c5437951467A/food-n17.html 2009-11-17T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/11/maln-n13.html There are currently 195 million children under the age of five in underdeveloped countries whose growth is stunted due to chronic malnutrition, according to a UN agency. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/55580ea8-5e11-4297-9d03-247527e22ffB/maln-n13.html 2009-11-13T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/11/bbcc-n12.html A global poll by the British Broadcasting Corporation shows widespread disaffection with the capitalist free-market, including a significant opposition to capitalism per se. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/be845920-680b-4ad5-bb58-3371a40eddaH/bbcc-n12.html 2009-11-12T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/10/hung-o15.html More than 1 billion people will go hungry in 2009, two UN agencies reported on Wednesday, an increase of over 100 million people in one year.

 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/c61324df-8cc4-4c27-bb6e-dfcad001266F/hung-o15.html 2009-10-15T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/09/hngr-s18.html For the first time in history, more than one billion people, or nearly one in every 6 inhabitants of the planet, are going hungry this year. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/da704adb-fe3b-4f1a-a057-5f9f015197fH/hngr-s18.html 2009-09-18T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/06/hung-j20.html Humanity will achieve the dubious distinction this year of having more than 1 billion members of its species living in hunger for the first time in history. Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/d839011d-6dbc-4d1b-b4df-20e73bf5f09C/hung-j20.html 2009-06-20T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/06/ilo-j04.html The International Labor Organization issued a report Wednesday predicting that the jobs crisis sweeping the globe may last for eight years and warning that sustained high levels of unemployment will unleash social and political unrest. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/7ff1b2c9-ec07-4d57-b96b-56b38e410f3J/ilo-j04.html 2009-06-04T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/05/pers-m09.html Far from promoting equality in any meaningful sense, the government’s Equality Bill advocates identity politics as window dressing for the growth of class inequality under Labour’s rule. Sat, 09 May 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/4ea96698-5d6c-4ac7-8e8b-83995b51235I/pers-m09.html 2009-05-09T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/04/imf-a28.html As finance ministers meeting in Washington failed to adopt any new policies to confront the deepening world economic crisis, the head of the World Bank warned that it threatens to unleash “a human and developmental calamity.” Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/3148ea5c-9967-4c35-ac39-136f2cf2ff7D/imf-a28.html 2009-04-28T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/04/imfa-a02.html The IMF predicts the global economic crisis will have a huge and disproportionate impact on sub-Saharan Africa. Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/4cfa5d49-eaba-4e25-b320-e3adc642121J/imfa-a02.html 2009-04-02T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/04/food-a02.html The financial and economic crisis threatens to sharply increase the number of people suffering from hunger, despite a recent decline in food prices. Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/53e59d9a-0950-4d23-812b-5c9764b33b1D/food-a02.html 2009-04-02T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/02/pove-f16.html Up to 53 million more people around the world could fall into poverty in 2009 as a result of the global economic slump, highlighting the worldwide character of the social catastrophe unleashed by the deepening crisis. Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/9abacea0-f0a1-4bf3-9426-725a1d6a75dB/pove-f16.html 2009-02-16T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2009/01/chil-j20.html A report by UNICEF finds that women living in the least developed countries of the world are 300 times more likely to die as a result of childbirth or pregnancy-related complications than women living in the developed countries. Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/beae2674-0050-47de-843e-4907893faefL/chil-j20.html 2009-01-20T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/12/pitt-d22.html The WSWS spoke to homeowners threatened with foreclosure at a recent meeting in Pittsburgh. Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/3cd5b9da-2ca2-4514-9e67-5dba567826dI/pitt-d22.html 2008-12-22T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/12/hung-d13.html The number of undernourished people in the world has increased from 923 million in 2007 to 963 million in 2008. Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/5b93abf2-fadf-4e8d-9449-f97c3eed093K/hung-d13.html 2008-12-13T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/11/kand-n27.html The WSWS spoke to GM worker Kandy O’Neil, inviting her to respond to a New York Times column criticizing her for insisting that auto workers should not be forced to pay for the crisis in the industry. Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/1625c077-4d7f-4565-a7e5-72a93a5853aP/kand-n27.html 2008-11-27T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/11/hait-n11.html At least 94 school children have been killed, and at least 150 more injured, as a result of last Friday’s collapse of a school in Petionville, Haiti. Rescue workers continued to search through the rubble for survivors on Monday. Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/25e2d796-6846-4633-a6a4-94d449225a8P/hait-n11.html 2008-11-11T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/10/olig-o25.html A row over relations between Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, Labour’s Peter Mandelson and Conservative Party shadow chancellor George Osborne has brought to light the intimate relations between Britain’s major parties and the global financial oligarchy. Sat, 25 Oct 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/f2337620-1120-46fe-97fd-49d68e3fabdM/olig-o25.html 2008-10-25T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/10/ethi-o11.html Oxfam has reported that the number of Ethiopians needing emergency food assistance has jumped to 6.4 million from 4.6 million in June. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/c7e58f01-f78a-4ccd-906a-54233525de5E/ethi-o11.html 2008-10-11T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/10/chld-o03.html More than 40 percent of children in the United Kingdom are living in poverty, according to the latest research. That is some 5.5 million children. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/d86082ed-2a46-4822-904f-1d6e28913a2N/chld-o03.html 2008-10-03T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/09/glob-s25.html In August the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report, “Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health.” Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/60c435de-5c52-4737-8e4c-5bca705009aN/glob-s25.html 2008-09-25T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/09/spd-s17.html The early appointment of Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the SPD candidate for chancellor in next year’s federal elections, and the hurried change of party leader from Kurt Beck to Franz Müntefering, means the supporters of former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder now have the party once again firmly in their grasp. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/079c1f68-6d06-40bf-9f95-d037c411f6fF/spd-s17.html 2008-09-17T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/09/germ-s16.html At the end of May this year, employment minister Olaf Scholz (Social Democratic Party, SPD) presented the federal government’s report on poverty and wealth, based on data up to 2006. The report clearly documents the growth of poverty. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/e3df795f-c03c-4026-b1df-4bbef74d7a2O/germ-s16.html 2008-09-16T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/09/watr-s10.html World Water Week, attended by around 2,500 scientists, government and civil society representatives from 140 countries, took place in Stockholm last month. It was held under the auspices of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/466f1b51-a53d-43c0-9d42-eb41088be59D/watr-s10.html 2008-09-10T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/09/darl-s06.html The August 30 Guardian interview with Britain’s Chancellor Alistair Darling was extraordinary in many respects. In the first place there can be few occasions that so dramatically reveal the sense of profound crisis within ruling circles in Britain. Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/038bb1ad-1fbf-44a5-98f4-76d604cd025C/darl-s06.html 2008-09-06T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/09/pove-s02.html The World Bank reported Tuesday that in 2005 an estimated 1.4 billion people in the so-called ‘developing world,’ one-fourth of its population, lived on less than $1.25 a day, the new official poverty line. This figure is 400 million more than the Bank’s 2004 estimate of 985 million. Another 1.2 billion people live on between $1.25 and $2 a day. Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/af645562-6e16-401f-a045-bf5853b0310F/pove-s02.html 2008-09-02T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/07/fami-j03.html It is not unusual for Ethiopia and Somalia to be hit by drought and food shortages, but this year the rise in food costs makes an already disastrous situation worse. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/caed47a4-9753-42fc-b593-ce8640c8674J/fami-j03.html 2008-07-03T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/06/food-j10.html This is the third and concluding part of a series of articles on the world food crisis. Part one was posted June 7. Part two appeared on June 9. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/a9635f09-4534-4e6c-a030-e51d10d16b5D/food-j10.html 2008-06-10T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/06/food-j09.html This is the second part of a three-part series of articles on the world food crisis. Part one was posted June 7. The third and concluding part will be posted June 10. Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/41ff2171-b45a-4454-91ff-d4d8a546436P/food-j09.html 2008-06-09T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/06/fao-j09.html The summit on soaring food prices, convened by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome last week, was dominated by fears of social unrest brought about by the rising price of food staples and a dramatic increase in the price of fuel. Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/7e98cfc1-b86f-419c-8dc3-0a948469fe0N/fao-j09.html 2008-06-09T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/06/food-j07.html This is the first part of a three-part series of articles on the world food crisis. Part two will be posted June 9. Sat, 07 Jun 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/92e97ef6-6d46-46ca-842c-b7b6f2cbfb3B/food-j07.html 2008-06-07T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/05/ineq-m20.html The unprecedented accumulation of wealth by a narrow financial elite under conditions of declining real incomes for the vast majority of the world’s population is creating mounting discontent and anger. Tue, 20 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/9fb9a6ca-641a-42f3-a67d-7b4ed67ae84E/ineq-m20.html 2008-05-20T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/04/hedg-a24.html A series of reports in the international media have drawn attention to the role of professional speculators and hedge funds in driving up the price of basic commodities—in particular, foodstuffs. The sharp increase in food prices in recent months has led to protests and riots in a number of countries across the globe. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/0a1c83ed-44ab-49a3-89a9-26b2284ad80N/hedg-a24.html 2008-04-24T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/04/food-a15.html Last week’s meetings in Washington of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Group of Seven were convened in the shadow of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. While Wall Street’s turmoil and the deepening credit crunch dominated discussions, leaders of the global financial institutions were forced to take note of the growing global food emergency, warning of the threat of widespread hunger and already emerging political instability. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/ad17e1f3-e55f-4ea8-82fb-92f45afde25N/food-a15.html 2008-04-15T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/01/mort-j31.html Nearly 10 million children under five died worldwide in 2006, according to a new report. That is a daily rate of 26,000 deaths. Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/34dc6269-13b3-4300-95c1-1186761d179B/mort-j31.html 2008-01-31T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2007/12/food-d22.html Worldwide food prices have risen sharply and supplies have dropped this year, according to the latest food outlook of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The agency warned December 17 that the changes represent an “unforeseen and unprecedented” shift in the global food system, threatening billions with hunger and decreased access to food. Sat, 22 Dec 2007 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/c527cff8-91fb-4ad6-a19b-15947808daeM/food-d22.html 2007-12-22T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2007/11/dole-n23.html A jury in Los Angeles Superior Court has awarded close to $6 million to six workers in a lawsuit against corporate giants Dole Fresh Fruit Co. and Dow Chemical Co. The suit was filed in 2004 by 12 Central American men who worked at a Dole banana plantation in Nicaragua during the 1970s. The workers claimed they were made sterile by exposure to a Dow pesticide used by Dole. Fri, 23 Nov 2007 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/7ec0fcc1-c77c-46f9-97a1-e598e481a32L/dole-n23.html 2007-11-23T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2007/07/weal-j12.html The 2007 World Wealth Report, released last month by European consulting firm Cap Gemini and Wall Street firm Merrill Lynch, documents the numerical and financial growth of “high net worth individuals” (HNWIs)—individuals with over $1 million in financial assets—over the past year. The report provides a picture not only of growing wealth among the richest layers of society, but also an increasing concentration of wealth at the very top. Thu, 12 Jul 2007 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/17738640-0194-463d-ba3b-736091da86eC/weal-j12.html 2007-07-12T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2007/03/bill-m10.html Forbes magazine released its annual list of billionaires Thursday. There are now nearly one thousand billionaires worldwide—946 to be exact, according to the magazine’s calculations—and their combined wealth in the past year grew by 35 percent to $3.5 trillion. Sat, 10 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/1b1d1ecf-7dd5-4374-a2c8-e8b51f9b2e9M/bill-m10.html 2007-03-10T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2007/02/unic-f16.html The United States and Britain are the worst places in the major industrialised nations to be a child, according to a new report produced by Unicef. The organisation, which usually highlights the plight of child soldiers and children living in poverty in the so-called developing world, has turned the spotlight on 21 wealthy OECD countries. Its findings have exposed the appalling results of growing social inequality in both the UK and US. The report thoroughly refutes the claims of both governments to be reducing child poverty. Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/e85494a9-f278-4b10-a19b-e58ae08f071K/unic-f16.html 2007-02-16T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2006/12/fint-d29.html The Financial Times, Britain’s leading financial newspaper, published a remarkable editorial December 27 entitled “Seasonal cheers for new philanthropists.” Fri, 29 Dec 2006 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/8ec2ab43-49d2-4bb1-a76d-2acd69a8ee8J/fint-d29.html 2006-12-29T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2006/12/ineq-d08.html A report released Tuesday by a United Nations group documents the staggering levels of global inequality in household wealth. The report gives a partial portrait of a world society characterized by extreme concentrations of wealth in the hands of the richest sections of the population, with the position of much of the remainder ranging from general economic insecurity to dire poverty. Fri, 08 Dec 2006 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/ace34dc9-c1db-4d4a-8d03-6e7595f5ea0B/ineq-d08.html 2006-12-08T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2006/09/watr-s13.html According to the charity WaterAid “not a single additional person” has benefited from the promises the European Union made nearly five years ago regarding water and sanitation projects for the world’s poorest people. Wed, 13 Sep 2006 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/a356b19c-b81b-425f-92cc-3813de2d590C/watr-s13.html 2006-09-13T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2006/06/hung-j07.html Amongst the primary Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) proclaimed at the turn of the new century by the United Nations were the eradication of extreme poverty and a halving of the numbers suffering hunger across the globe by 2015. Wed, 07 Jun 2006 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/0e7fa1d5-64b4-4939-9913-1db63b0548dF/hung-j07.html 2006-06-07T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2006/02/ftim-f24.html The Financial Times columnist Samuel Brittan, one of the first monetarist economists in Britain, has issued a warning that the United States cannot allow the gap between the pay of top executives and the rest of society to continue to grow on the present scale. He calls for redistributive taxation to redress the situation. [1] Fri, 24 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/ae94a32a-6d6b-4a99-8075-7486bcd2b4dO/ftim-f24.html 2006-02-24T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/09/unhd-s16.html The latest Human Development Report issued by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) documents the growing inequality and absolute decline in living standards and social conditions in large areas of the world. Fri, 16 Sep 2005 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/ed7f5c9c-431d-4bcc-b8c7-cbdf8b7bfbcN/unhd-s16.html 2005-09-16T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/06/debt-j15.html G8 finance ministers have proclaimed the June 11 debt relief package for some of the world’s poorest countries as an historic agreement. In reality, the deal confirms the folly of looking to the imperialist powers for a resolution to the suffering of the oppressed peoples of Africa, Asia and South America. Wed, 15 Jun 2005 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/d8121918-db10-4cac-afa0-1a120e13b27D/debt-j15.html 2005-06-15T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/05/mobi-m25.html A recent report focuses on how education affects the life chances of British children, compared with those in other countries. Researchers at the London School of Economics (LSE) and Bristol University examined the extent of intergenerational mobility—where children from the most and least affluent families end up in the earnings or income distribution scale as adults. Wed, 25 May 2005 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/9413889d-f6ce-4d38-b168-dc8e7f8f68cL/mobi-m25.html 2005-05-25T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/05/forb-m09.html Business magazine Forbes introduced its yearly world rich list with the understatement, “The rich had a very good year.” Mon, 09 May 2005 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/871a3103-0501-4509-a3c9-bffcb59356fJ/forb-m09.html 2005-05-09T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/04/unic-a01.html At the beginning of March, the United Nations child welfare organisation UNICEF presented a new study showing a rise in child poverty in advanced capitalist countries. Child Poverty in Rich Countries 2005 was prepared for UNICEF by the Innocenti Research Centre in Florence, Italy, and can be downloaded from http://www.unicef-icdc.org/publications/index.html. Fri, 01 Apr 2005 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/3f371580-da87-473c-b7e5-e2f2b89b2f9G/unic-a01.html 2005-04-01T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2004/12/unic-d24.html One billion children are suffering from one or more forms of deprivation according to the latest UNICEF report. Fri, 24 Dec 2004 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/d6fa1492-1d28-4670-8817-ed20020aad8O/unic-d24.html 2004-12-24T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2004/06/rich-j22.html As hundreds of millions around the globe struggle to survive on a dollar or two a day, the ranks of the rich and the ultra-rich continue to grow. Tue, 22 Jun 2004 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/e2164e1c-edfe-430b-94dd-2d40db081f1B/rich-j22.html 2004-06-22T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2004/05/bank-m18.html The World Bank and International Monetary Fund issued a report on April 16 that accepts the millennium development goals (MDGs) will not be achieved. The MDGs were established at the United Nations General Assembly summit in 2000. Their stated aim was to cut by half the number of people in the world’s poorest countries suffering poverty, hunger and ill-health. Tue, 18 May 2004 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/1a02678f-3eb3-4b7e-9bc6-dcf7123e814M/bank-m18.html 2004-05-18T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2004/03/forb-m09.html While at least a billion people on the planet subsist on the equivalent of a dollar a day or less, the concentration of wealth among a handful of people at the top has set new records. In its current issue, Forbes magazine lists a record 587 individuals and family units worth $1 billion or more, an increase from 476 in 2003. The combined wealth of this year’s billionaires also reached record levels—a staggering $1.9 trillion, an increase of $500 billion in just one year, due largely to resurging stock prices over the last 12 months. Tue, 09 Mar 2004 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/bde72432-e9d3-4c53-95c8-43ccce9af51A/forb-m09.html 2004-03-09T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2004/02/wome-f25.html An Oxfam report, Trading Away Our Rights: Women working in global supply chains, highlights the plight of women working in garment and food production supplying goods to major Western retail companies. Wed, 25 Feb 2004 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/ff1e77f7-eece-4b34-85d3-4b0c8edf045E/wome-f25.html 2004-02-25T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2004/02/slum-f17.html Late in 2003 the United Nations reported that one billion people—approximately one third of the world’s urban dwellers and a sixth of all humanity, live in slums. And it predicted that within 30 years that figure would have doubled to two billion—a third of the current world population. Tue, 17 Feb 2004 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/88d00462-aa70-47e4-90e5-ad34fb6c118L/slum-f17.html 2004-02-17T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2004/01/whor-j12.html Stark global inequalities in health are revealed in the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) report. World Health Report 2003 highlights “the slowing of gains and the widening of health gaps.” Mon, 12 Jan 2004 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/94daca13-8b30-42f1-9cd0-021c15d1b2aD/whor-j12.html 2004-01-12T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2003/11/pens-n17.html Under the guise of reform, pensions are under attack in virtually every industrialised country in the world. As a result, millions of workers face appalling poverty and isolation in their last years and pensions are fast becoming one of the most bitterly contested political issues. Mon, 17 Nov 2003 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/ec156800-1038-422f-9952-ebaf4961bb2C/pens-n17.html 2003-11-17T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2002/09/oecd-s12.html Differences in income in the developed industrial countries increased greatly between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s. This is the result of a study undertaken by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Europe (OECD). Those faring worst in the re-division of wealth were single parents and young people. Thu, 12 Sep 2002 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/a1aa97fa-56c7-4e8c-b460-af1ff3fab47H/oecd-s12.html 2002-09-12T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2002/08/orga-a30.html One of the most gruesome expressions of international social inequality is the trade in human organs and, more particularly, the murder and dismemberment of poor and defenseless people for their organs. Fri, 30 Aug 2002 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/46f6e699-5c29-4fda-b024-dde94d82243C/orga-a30.html 2002-08-30T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2002/04/chil-a22.html The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently released its report entitled The State of the World’s Children 2002, detailing the terrible predicament facing millions of children more than a decade after the organisation convened its World Summit for Children in 1990. Mon, 22 Apr 2002 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/d1f6d486-567a-4f3c-918c-5307d32777fC/chil-a22.html 2002-04-22T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2002/04/san-a18.html A report entitled “The Human Waste”, issued by the British charity Water Aid and Tearfund, a British relief and development agency, details the horrific consequences of poor sanitation and lack of clean drinking water. Thu, 18 Apr 2002 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/9fdf4b0c-4334-4656-b41a-2d57b345a60H/san-a18.html 2002-04-18T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2001/07/pens-j18.html Less than 15 percent of the world’s population over 65 years of age now receive any income in retirement, according to New Ideas about Old Age Security, a book published recently by the World Bank. Wed, 18 Jul 2001 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/0d863ebb-b6b5-46fe-a75a-65eab2474d7A/pens-j18.html 2001-07-18T05:00:00Z http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2001/06/oxf-j16.html A recent report by the charity, Oxfam, contains figures showing how the richer more industrialised nations rig trade in their favour, at the expense of the poorest countries. Sat, 16 Jun 2001 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wsws.org/asset/9bd23592-9169-44b2-89bd-985cfd7826cP/oxf-j16.html 2001-06-16T05:00:00Z