The 2005 Human Development Report revealed that the world has become richer over the last 15 years except for 18 nations 12 are in Africa which the United Nations said are in worse position than they were in 1990. The study likewise showed that, despite the growing global prosperity, one billion people continue to live on less than $1 per day and 10.7 million children perish before reaching their fifth birthday. The U.N. urged the international community to act now to eradicate poverty, appealing to donor countries to boost aid spending and break down trade barriers. It also calls for greater efforts to restrict the deadly small arms trade and support regional peacekeeping initiatives after noting that armed conflicts beset 22 of the 32 lowest-ranked countries in the development category. (Source: UN Says Drastic Measures Needed To Reduce World Poverty/The Associated Press)
