Global crisis led to poverty

Indonesia: Asian Development Bank ends its 42nd Assembly Tuesday, pointing at the global crisis as the leading cause of poverty and hunger in the region.

According to ADB predictions, a million more people will live in abject poverty in Asia by 2010, due to the impact of the world recession.

ADB President, Haruhiko Kuroda of Japan, stressed when speaking to the 67 ADB countries member, gathered in this Indonesian island, "the poor must be our main concern."

If the world economic growth would have maintained the levels obtained before the crisis, it would have been enough to enable the poor population to cross the less and inadequate poverty line of 1.25 dollar a day and enjoy a better life, Kuroda affirmed.

ADB estimates the economic growth to fall to 3.4% in 2009, as compared with the 6.1 growth of 2007, and commented that China seems to be already leaving behind the current economic crisis.

ADB President expressed during a press conference that the Chinese economy might be in a phase of recovery. He also pointed at some signs of economic recovery in South Korea and within Japanese industrial production.

"In general, these results give me cause for optimism concerning Asia's complete recovery by the end of 2010," he commented. Bali, Prensa Latina