Secretary-General calls for more support to the poor during tough economic times
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International Day for the Eradication of Poverty graphic
At a time of economic austerity, the UN Secretary-General is urging countries not to forget about the poor.
In a message on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 17 October, Ban Ki-moon points out that anti-poverty measures are being threatened as governments struggle to balance budgets.
But, he says, this is precisely the time to provide the poor with access to social services, income security and decent work.
To mark the day, the UN is hosting an event on ending the violence of extreme poverty. Cristina Diez is with the International Movement ATD Fourth World, one of the co-hosts.
"People living in extreme poverty insider consider the conditions they live in as conditions that create violence. For example, when they describe what is living in extreme poverty they say they are not received as human beings, their human rights are denied, they are treated with disdain. And those conditions create violence in their lives." (Duration: 20″)
