Conflict, climate change, cash-strapped: Why poverty persists

Lead

A new United Nations report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) finds that sustained investment and international cooperation have improved the lives of billions, but warns that progress remains far too slow to meet the 2030 deadline. The 2026 SDG Progress Report, released Tuesday as the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development opened in New York, documents notable achievements alongside persistent shortfalls.

Coverage Comparison

Both AllAfrica and Deutsche Welle reported on the UN's findings, emphasizing the dual narrative of progress and persistent crisis. AllAfrica highlighted the UN's call for urgent action, framing the report as a "shared blueprint for peace" while acknowledging the political and financial challenges. Deutsche Welle described the situation with greater urgency, citing "surging violent conflict" and "overlapping crises" as key obstacles.

While both outlets agreed on the headline figures, Deutsche Welle alone carried projections for global extreme poverty reaching 10% by 2026, just three percentage points below 2015 levels, and noted that 15% of SDG targets have fallen below their 2015 baselines. AllAfrica, meanwhile, provided additional detail on social protection coverage and the doubling of the global refugee population over the past decade.

Key Claims

Notable Progress

The report credits major advances since the SDGs were adopted in 2015. According to the report as summarized by both outlets, nearly one billion people have gained access to safe drinking water, and 1.2 billion have gained access to safely managed sanitation. New HIV infections fell by 30 per cent between 2015 and 2024, and electricity now reaches 92 per cent of the global population.

AllAfrica also reports that internet access surged from 40 to 74 per cent, and social protection now covers more than half of the global population. Deutsche Welle similarly notes the safe water and electricity figures, though it emphasizes that "many other areas are way off track."

Persistent Hardships

Despite these gains, the report paints a sobering picture of ongoing deprivation. One in ten people still live in extreme poverty, according to both outlets. Food insecurity affects 2.3 billion people, as reported by AllAfrica, while Deutsche Welle states that over two billion face moderate or severe food insecurity.

The reports also highlight health and education gaps. AllAfrica notes that maternal mortality remains nearly three times the global target, and that 273 million children and young people remain out of school. The global refugee population has more than doubled in the past decade, the same source adds.

Climate and Environmental Pressures

Both outlets report that global temperatures reached 1.43 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in 2025. Deutsche Welle adds that the concentration of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere is at its highest for two million years, and that the number of people affected by climate-related disasters has more than doubled since 2015. The same report states that ten percent of the world's population lives in countries with high or critical water stress levels.

Financial and Conflict-Related Obstacles

Deutsche Welle reports that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged countries to step up as official development assistance plummeted by a record 23% in 2025. The same outlet attributes stalled progress to "surging violent conflict" and notes that global military spending has reached record highs. AllAfrica's coverage points to escalating conflicts, climate change, slowing economic growth, and rising debt as factors undermining progress.

Deutsche Welle also reports that the war in the Middle East has disrupted maritime traffic, blocking energy, fertilizer, and food corridors.

Outlook

With fewer than five years remaining until the 2030 deadline, the report concludes that overall progress remains "far too slow," as AllAfrica puts it. Nearly half of the SDG targets are advancing too slowly, and 15% have fallen below 2015 baselines, according to Deutsche Welle. Guterres called for a "decisive final push" to achieve the goals and build a healthy, prosperous future for all, as quoted by Deutsche Welle.