UNICEF: every fifth child in the world's richest countries lives below the poverty line

More than 69 million children live below the poverty line in the 40 richest countries, according to a report released by UNICEF on Wednesday.

According to the authors of the report, children in France and Great Britain are in the worst situation, writes Arab News . Although the number of families living in poverty decreased by approximately 6 million from 2012 to 2014 and from 2019 to 2021, these numbers remain alarming.

"For many children, this means they will grow up without adequate nutritious food, seasonal clothing, school supplies, or live in unheated housing," said UNICEF representative Victor Niland. He added that this situation harms the physical and mental health of young people.

The authors call on the leaders of the state to show political will in the fight against poverty, stressing that the country's wealth and level of development does not mean that all citizens live in abundance. For example, 19.6 percent of the population in Great Britain and 10.4 percent in France live below the poverty line.

The authors of the report also noted that there is a strong disparity between white citizens of developed countries and people of other races and immigrants. For example, in the US, 29% of Native Americans and 30% of African Americans live below the poverty line, while only 10% of whites live below the poverty line. And in the European Union, children of immigrants, even if they have obtained citizenship, are 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line than native citizens of these countries.