The impact of poverty on national security. Why should poverty concern us all?

Poor living conditions, lack of access to basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare are primary drivers of migration. Desperate circumstances can lead individuals to resort to criminal activities as a means of survival or protest, fuelling terrorism and organized crime. Also, extreme poverty contributes to national security threats beyond criminality. Unsafe housing conditions, inadequate sanitation, and malnutrition increase the risk of accidents, diseases, and environmental hazards.

While these security issues primarily affect the populations of impoverished nations, they pose a significant risk for countries with high migration rate such as the UK because pf the potential criminality increase and the spread of diseases. Therefore, it is clear that global poverty represents an enormous risk in terms of national security for everyone and addressing it is essential in order to prevent conflict, diseases, terrorism and to enhance stability, public health and good migration management.

Addressing global poverty hold strategic importance for the UK, serving to mitigate the root causes of various pressing issues, including mass migration and instability. Therefore, by assisting the world's poorest nations in fostering economic growth, we not only fulfil our humanitarian obligations but we also help in the creation of a safer and more stable world for everyone.

So, why should poverty concern us? In a nutshell, directly or indirectly, poverty affects us all and if we want a better life, we need to help create one for everyone and for that I urge you to contact your MP in support of the Official Development Assistance (ODA).