New York-SANA
The world population has exceeded eight billion people, according to estimates by the United Nations Population Division.
In this regard, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement: This threshold is an opportunity to celebrate diversity and development, taking into account the shared responsibility of humanity towards the world.
The United Nations attributes population growth to human development and high fertility rates, especially in the world's poorest countries, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, which endangers development goals.
Guterres added: Some fear that the number of 8 billion people will exceed the capabilities of the earth, and experts point out that the biggest problem lies in the excessive consumption of resources by the richest people, noting that there are billions of people who suffer hardships, and hundreds of millions who face hunger and famine, and there are Unprecedented numbers travel in search of opportunities and in pursuit of debt relief, hardships, wars and climate disasters.
Guterres pointed out that “there are also a few billionaires who control an amount of wealth equal to that of the poorest half of the world, and the richest one percent in the world accounts for a fifth of the world’s income.”
Guterres continued: Inequalities are accelerating due to the accelerating climate crisis and the uneven recovery from the “Covid-19” pandemic, as the world is heading towards a climate catastrophe at a time when emissions are escalating and temperatures are rising, and floods, storms and droughts are wreaking havoc on countries that have contributed little to nothing. in global warming.
He added: The food, energy and financing crises have increased and affected developing economies, and many countries in the southern hemisphere are facing huge debts, an increase in poverty and hunger, and the growing effects of the climate crisis.
Guterres expressed optimism that there is some good news amid all these serious challenges, as the world of eight billion people can offer huge opportunities to some of the poorest countries, where population growth is the highest, and relatively small investments in health care, education, gender equality and development can A sustainable economy is to create a successive and fruitful sequence of development and growth, leading to a transformation in economies and in people's lives.
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