Eradicating extreme poverty and reducing inequality remain some of Africa’s biggest challenges which the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is trying to help member states tackle through various policy recommendations and actions.
Ms. Thokozile Ruzvidzo, Director of the Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division at the ECA, was speaking during the third session of the committee on gender, poverty and social policy on Thursday.
In numbers, more than 50 percent of urban residents in Africa live informally, increasing by 4.5 million annually and an estimated 210 million live under conditions of poverty in urban slums, excluding North Africa, a figure which is projected to rise to 256.4 million in 2020, she said
According to the director, in half of African countries, less than 35 percent of the population has access to improved sanitation facilities, less than 76 percent has access to potable water, and the urban housing deficit stands at $20 billion–$25 billion.
“These figures suggest that extreme poverty in Africa is moving from rural to urban areas,” said Ms. Ruzvidzo, adding that the situation was equally challenging in terms of inequality in the region.
“The interaction between poverty and inequality requires urgent attention in order to resolve human ill-being, fulfil everyone’s human rights, and achieve collective peace, prosperity, and genuine democracy. Poverty and inequality do not only mean human deprivation, they often lead to social unrest and uprisings, growing radicalization, worsening of polarization within countries and communities, risks, and sometimes actual conflicts and wars,” she added.
Ms. Ruzvidzo said the ECA, amidst an uncertain and volatile global environment, slower growth in the region, and rising inequality, had to embark on reforms to ensure it remained in touch with Africa’s development efforts.
“The principal rationale for its recent reform was to re-affirm that the Commission was re-oriented to effectively implement its mandate, including effectively supporting the implementation of, and follow-up to, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” she said.
The ECA’s new strategic direction focuses particularly on 23 African countries to increase its ability to make impactful interventions and remain forward-looking.
MG/as/APA