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] By 2050 AMR-related deaths in Africa could soar to 4.1 million each year, pushing millions into extreme poverty and reversing decades of progress in infectious disease control. Africa CDC
• [New] More than 16 million people in Myanmar, of a population of 51 million, will require life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection in 2026. The Guardian
• [New] Despite the numbers of needy people approaching 300 million, the UN's hyper-prioritised global humanitarian appeal cut its 2026 ask to $23 billion. The National
• [New] The most recent tariffs will increase the number of Americans living in poverty, between 650,000 and 875,000. Bread for the World
• [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
• 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

Last updated: 02 January 2026