Rate of poverty increases by a third in Spanish province

NO CHANGE: El Puche was among the areas named in the report CREDIT: Almeria Social Forum, via Flickr

THE amount of people in poverty in Almeria Province has risen over an almost 30 year period despite millions of euros spent trying to lower it, an official report said.
The Junta de Andalucia’s Disadvantaged Zones report stated that the number of those living in poverty has risen by 33 per cent. Almost a quarter of people have no basic education or could not read and write in some areas.
“The areas facing the most negative situations are generally small towns and most of them are concentrated in Almeria and Granada,” the report stated.
A total of 11 areas in Almeria Province were named as being among Andalucia’s most disadvantaged. They were in Almeria City, Nijar, El Ejido, Roquetas de Mar and Vicar.
The unemployment rate stands above 40 per cent in some parts of Almeria. Some of those areas were classed as in need help to reduce poverty when the Junta published its first Disadvantaged Zones report in 1989.
The El Puche area of Almeria City was named among the ten most disadvantaged areas in the region in measures designed to fight poverty in 1989.
The same area was highlighted in the latest Disadvantaged Zones report as one still in need of aid.
The report comes as the Junta unveiled measures to tackle poverty in the 93 disadvantaged areas in Andalucia, including those in Almeria.
The measures are backed by around €169.5 million in funding.  They are designed to help areas that have issues with high unemployment, illiteracy rates and the provision of public services such as health and education.

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Joe Gerrard

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