Page 39 - Demo

391.Burundi: per capita income 2020- $270The unenviable distinction of being the world%u2019s poorest nation belongs to the small, landlocked nation of Burundi, which has been scarred by Hutu-Tutsi ethnic conflict and civil war. Food scarcity is a major issue in this country of nearly 12 million people because 90% of its population depends on subsistence agriculture (and the vast majority of them live in extreme poverty). The level of food insecurity is nearly twice as high as the average for sub-Saharan African nations. Less than 5% of the population has access to electricity, and water and sanitary facilities are still in very short supply. It goes without saying that the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine have only served to make all of these issues worse.Despite the civil war having officially ended 15 years ago, how has it come to this situation? The factors that contribute to extreme poverty are frequently the typical aspects: a lack of infrastructure, widespread corruption, and security issues. Former Hutu rebel turned charismatic president Pierre Nkurunziza had originally succeeded in bringing the nation together behind him and in reviving the economy. But in 2015, his declaration that he would seek a third term%u2014which the opposition claimed violated the constitution%u2014rekindled old disagreements. Thereafter, there was an unsuccessful coup attempt, hundreds of clash-related fatalities, and tens of thousands of internal and external displacements.3939