Conditions of Extreme Poverty Affect the Rural Populace of Poor Countries

Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries of the world and has a population that is predominantly rural. 85 percent of the population live in the villages and depend on the land for their livelihood. The country is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters such as frequent floods and cyclones which take lives and destroy crops, livestock and invaluable property.

While there is some perceptible change in reducing the intensity of poverty, the rural population continues to live in pitiable conditions with no access to proper shelter, hygiene and food. Rural areas remain neglected leading to a greater imbalance between the living conditions of the rural and urban populace.

It is estimated that over 20 percent of the rural households live in a deplorable state of extreme poverty. Food insecurity is a perennial problem among the rural poor in Bangladesh as they do not own any land that is cultivable nor do they have any assets. Often, these people are illiterate and suffer from debilitating diseases because of the extremely unhygienic conditions that they live in.

There are many disparities that encompass the lives of Bangladeshis. These disparities rise from geographic factors, access to education and gender of the individual. The income levels among the people living in rural and urban areas show huge discrepancy primarily because the resources available in the urban areas are conspicuous by their absence in the rural areas.

The rural population face huge problems in their day to day life with shortages of basic essentials a regular feature. Weeks and months of efforts can be swept away within a matter of hours by floods and cyclones that strikes the country with alarming regularity. There are instances when floods have wiped out entire winter crop, creating conditions of famine and hunger.

Bangladeshi children do not have access to proper education. Children residing in rural areas of the country are more severely affected. The government has made primary school education free and even compulsory but has not made the necessary resources available to the rural population. The literacy rate is just around 60 percent but is much lower in the rural areas.

There are NGOs working vigorously to correct the situation and ensure that the disparity in living conditions between the rural and urban population is minimized as much as possible.

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