Poverty Declines Since the Tsunami

A recent survey has revealed that the number of people living in poverty in the Maldives has reduced since the 2004 tsunami.

The study, known as the “Tsunami Impact Assessment Survey”, shows that the number of those who earn less than Rf 15 per day decreased by 30 per cent between June 2004 and June 2005.

The Ministry of Planning & National Development, which administered the survey, said that following the tsunami, the average incomes of Maldivians decreased but that the country recovered from this quickly.

Additionally, the survey found that only a small percentage of the total population had obtained severe damages due to the natural disaster.

Other findings show that educational and health services offered to inhabitants of the islands that were most affected have greatly improved as the local populations have been transferred to islands with much better services.

What’s more, as the populations in these islands have increased, the quality of the services have also increased and improved.

According to the United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (UNSIAP), “Poverty in Maldives differs from that in many other developing nations mainly because a large segment of the population is highly susceptible to external global shocks and has limited ability to effectively manage risk.”

The group points out that although the number of Maldivians who earn less than Rf 15 a day has decreased, up to 42 per cent of the country still lives on less than that amount, which is just USD 0.17 over the international poverty line.

When speaking of the recovery effort, former US President Bill Clinton, who recently published a report on lessons learned from the tsunami said: “Only 30 to 35% of the people have been put back into permanent housing, we have to do better than that.”

But President Clinton’s report was followed by the publication of “Tsunami Recovery in the Maldives 2004-2006”, which wrote: “In the case of the Maldives, the tsunami reversed whole decades of developmental success. Looking at what we have accomplished, it seems fair to say that UNDP has honoured its dedication to help regain lost development momentum and to establish a system that respects and encourages the rights and aspirations of all Maldivians.”

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which published the report, said that it expects to achieve its primary aid objectives in the Maldives by the end of next year.