Poverty In The Congo

What is poverty? There is no real definition of poverty, since poverty can be altered by opinions and expectations. We can give a definition of poverty in ‘absolute’ terms. We could say that poverty exists when people live and whose resources remain below a certain threshold of ‘absolute’ poverty at $1 per day (Darly, 2012).
The Republic of Congo possesses the lowest GDP per capita in the world- therefore making it the poorest country in the world (Kaswala). According to the ‘Borgen Project’- Congo’s GDP per capita in 2012 was a mere $370 comparing to the richest country at the time (Quatar) with a GDP per capita of $100,000 (Kaswala). Now in 2015, Congo’s GDP has increased, but only by little. It now has a GDP per capita of $435 (Finance).

Congo is the 6th most corrupt country in Africa in 2011 (Darly, 2012). Congo has almost over 80 million pieces of farm land but only 10 percent of them are being used. Only 10 percent of farmland is recognised as important as it’s mineral resources such as diamonds, tungsten and tin. Congo also has the largest production of oxygen for the world after the Amazon. It has the second largest supply of fresh water in the world and to add that the country has a huge hydropower potential (53% in Africa and 13.5% in the world) (Darly, 2012). Unfortunately the people of Congo cannot benefit from this due to how corrupt it is and how this corruption prevents significant infrastructure

Less than a quarter of people in Congo have proper sanitation facilities and fewer than half have access to a clean water source (Africa). This means that water- borne diseases are at power and multiple outbreaks of diarrhoea, bilharzias/schistosomiasis and cholera are very common and carry a deadly blow. Outbreaks of cholera occur every year and around 3% of those who contract the disease die because of lack of treatment (Africa). Even with the huge death toll due to these diseases, malaria and HIV/AIDS are the real threat. In 2009, there were over 6.7 million cases of malaria. Two out of every five deaths among young children are caused by malaria (WHO) (Africa). It is also estimated that about half a million people are infected with HIV/AIDS. The capital of Congo, Kinshasa, contains around 20-25,000 children who sleep rough and survive by begging (Africa). Most children also suffer from multiple vitamin deficiencies and extreme malnutrition. The real problem is not the diseases, since all countries (including MEDCs) suffer from them; it is in fact the number of hospitals and help provided for the people. It is so little as to be almost futile. There is only 1 doctor and 5 nurses/midwives for every 10,000 people in the DR Congo, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2000-2010 (Africa). The hospitals are extremely understaffed, unprepared and very poorly equipped. In