ROGERSVILLE, Missouri — A crisis in one country undoubtedly affects the stance of another country, and the cycle continues.
Countries torn apart due to violence, conflict, political parties and overpopulation are seeing an increase in poverty rates as citizens are displaced from homes or economies crash. Below are four global political issues occurring right now that could dramatically increase global poverty.
The Middle East
An Islamic militant group called the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) hopes to establish an Islamic caliphate in the Middle Eastern region, but its extremist assaults have ravaged much of the region. ISIS has publicly murdered victims, held hostages, captured and sold women, displaced hundreds from their homes and destroyed many Iraqi villages as it tears across the Middle East. ISIS has expanded into Jordan, Yemen, Egypt and parts of Syria.
Syria is already fighting a civil war that has been violent and brutal. In an attempt to overthrow the government, Syrians are split and war continues to ravage the region. Thousands have fled to Turkey and Jordan, increasing poverty rates and causing overpopulation in those regions. Food, clean water, sanitary conditions and shelter are increasingly scarce across the Middle East.
Political instability can crash the global economy, particularly in a region housing 1.6 billion people.
China vs. Japan
The two most important economies in Asia could be headed for conflict. In 2013, Japan formally protested at a news conference with the Defense Ministry after Chinese fighter jets flew “abnormally close” to Japanese military aircrafts over the East China Sea.
In November 2013, China proclaimed an air defense zone covering disputed islands in the South China Sea.
These continuous minor incidents are creating tensions between the countries that could eventually cause the economies of Asia to fall. 15.7 percent of Japanese people live in poverty, while 33.1 percent of Chinese people live in poverty. As neighboring countries attack each other, an economy-crash in these areas could cause poverty to skyrocket if violence begins on land.
European Politics
Europe is experiencing a rise in political radicalism as well as political instability. Accompanied by recent acts of terrorism, Europe is in a bit of an economic crisis that could influence the way Europeans live. Approximately 80 million people live below the poverty line in Europe, and that number could increase if the economy were to collapse due to political instability.
Russia vs. Ukraine
In April 2014, pro-Russian activists seized control of the Ukrainian government and violence has raged ever since. Ukrainian officials suggested removing Russian as an official language in Ukraine, and rebels began to emerge. Russia annexed Crimea, and approximately 5,000 people have lost their lives in this violent conflict. Fighting seemed to cease for a few months, but both sides continued to build up their forces until fighting again erupted in January 2015.
Approximately 5.2 million people are living in an area torn by conflict, and another 922,000 have been displaced into refugee camps or overpopulated towns, including 136,000 children. An additional 600,000 people have fled to neighboring countries, including 400,000 fleeing to Russia. A ceasefire agreement was attempted but not agreed upon on Jan. 31, 2015.
– Alaina Grote
Sources: BBC, Global Post, Reuters
Photo: Reuters