Global Scans · Poverty · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Due to a deteriorating global economic outlook, more than 130 out of 189 countries will experience reduced income growth, with the average global GDP growth rate falling from 4.1 percent to 3.1 percent between 2011 and 2030. Almost all of the countries with large numbers remaining in extreme poverty in 2030 will be in sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia.

• [New] With the 2025 humanitarian appeal only 30% funded, millions remain without help, forcing reductions, disruptions, and difficult prioritization decisions, while needs will remain immense in 2026. Secretary-General
• [New] Nigeria's poverty rate would reach 62% in 2026. Penkelemesi
• [New] Climate risk will have far-reaching impacts on national security and global stability, with effects already apparent in extreme weather events, species extinction, rising sea levels and growing poverty. Medium
• [New] FAO's new Global Emergency and Resilience Appeal seeks $2.5 billion to support 100 million people in 54 countries: FAO's December Global Emergency and Resilience Appeal for 2026 finds that acute food insecurity has tripled since 2016, even with high levels of humanitarian funding. World Hunger News
• [New] Estimates 16.5 million people in Syria require humanitarian assistance in 2025 which will spill over to 2026. Dynamite News
• [New] Attacks on hospitals, medical transport, and healthcare personnel during armed conflict have escalated in both frequency and severity, threatening the neutrality of medical missions and undermining international humanitarian law (IHL). BestAmericanJournals
• [New] The new UK funding will support critical humanitarian services, including emergency food supplies, medical care and protection for survivors of sexual violence. GOV.UK
• [New] We can see even more clearly the long-term shifts needed in Scotland if we are to drive poverty and related trauma risks decisively downwards. Third SectorMainNet
• [New] Poverty and urban residence intersect to intensify health vulnerability among older adults, including as related to urban heat islands, where urban areas experience hotter temperatures than global averages. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Tesla's humanoid robot Optimus will eliminate poverty, be more productive than humans and boost the global economy. Los Angeles Times
• [New] The Trump Administration and its allies in Congress are doing all that they can to reduce Americans' access to health insurance, a decision that will result in misery and physical harm to millions of Americans. WAMC
• [New] The initiative, backed by the DeFi Education Fund and several influential crypto policy groups, argues that decentralized financial tools could save people $30 billion a year in fees, money that is currently lost to what researchers describe as the poverty premium. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Over the next decade, healthcare will evolve from a sickness industry to a wellness ecosystem. Futurist Speaker on AI Leadership, Future of Work, Futu
• [New] The United Nations agency for children launched a new appeal, Humanitarian Action for Children 2026, for humanitarian action to provide aid to 73 million children across 133 countries next year. ICN
• [New] Over 200 million children will need humanitarian assistance by 2026. Vatican News
• [New] Closing the gender digital divide could benefit 343 million women and girls globally and lift 30 million people out of poverty by 2050. https://vir.com.vn/
• [New] The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, released yesterday, calls for $890 million, warning that 16.2 million people, including 5 million children, will require assistance and protection in 2026. / Myanmar Secretary-General
• [New] Investing in a stable climate, healthy land and nature, and a pollution-free planet could deliver annual gains of US$ 20 trillion, avoid millions of deaths, and lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and hunger. Circular Online
• [New] Sri Lanka's fragile economic recovery will be delayed as Ditwah's devastation of homes, roads and vital crops pushes more families into poverty. ST

Last updated: 26 December 2025