Table of contentsIntroductionBodyCurrent state of development Interventions and solutions ConclusionReferenceIntroductionPoverty is a state in which an individual is unable to have basic human needs such as food, good shelter, clothing and health care. However, the term also applies to countries that do not produce enough resources to support the needs of their population; hunger is a situation in which people cannot meet their nutritional needs for a certain period of time due to several reasons such as persistent drought or lack of access to nutritional food products; people who suffer from hunger suffer from malnutrition. Haiti is considered one of the poorest countries in the world and efforts to improve the country's economic situation are yielding limited results. The World Bank (2014) notes that with a population of 10.4 million, 52 percent of Haitians live in rural areas while 42 percent live in urban areas. More than 70 percent of the population lives in poverty, with 10 percent living slightly above the poverty line; only two percent of the population can afford $10 a day. The country is also prone to natural disasters which affect almost 95% of the population, as disasters such as weather, climate change and earthquakes affect agriculture, which is the country's main source of income. This essay examines poverty, hunger and development from a realistic perspective. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The realist perspective of social ontology argues that it is important to focus on social relationships when describing phenomena social. This perspective believes that society is composed of social relationships in which social practices are performed (Jones 2011). The World Bank considers poverty as living below certain standards which have been considered thresholds; for example, living on less than a dollar a day in Africa is considered living in poverty (World Bank, 2014). The non-satisfaction of human needs can be considered as the interpretation of poverty. Therefore, realism identifies the poor as people who cannot earn enough money to purchase the material minimum necessary for survival. For example, a project in a rural area that aims to increase farmers' income is likely to increase their productivity by allowing them to diversify into cash crops to increase their income. However, humans are complex stratified natural beings with multiple causal powers where certain conditions must be met to realize their potential; conditions are always seen as objects of human needs. Human beings meet their needs by consciously producing the objects they need to satisfy their needs. The production process involves planning, thinking, learning, and causal interaction with material nature and social process that requires cooperation and coordination of distinct entities. Thus, knowledge about nature and various production techniques is developed, or acquired and transmitted. Poverty, according to realists, “is a situation in which human needs are not adequately met and the realization of various human powers is restricted or prevented” (Jones, 2011, p. 5). History: Haiti,despite its current poverty situation was once considered the "jewel in the French crown" during the colonial period which ended in 1804. The graph (diagram 1) below shows that Haiti posted a higher GDP which has not been matched by any country in the world, including the United States and France, during this period. From the 1760s to the 1790s (Henochsberg, 2016, p.39). Studies reveal that the country began experiencing problems that plunged it into extreme poverty during the War of Independence and after gaining independence; for example, after independence, France imposed a public debt on it in 1825. Haiti, compared to other Caribbean countries, experienced infrastructural development challenges that made it difficult for other countries to equalize; This was associated with poor political leadership and loan management problems that contributed to corruption. The country's savings were aimed at paying off the growing debt, leaving fewer resources for investment. The sectors in which the government managed to invest were education and agriculture; However, despite these efforts, education has failed due to low enrollment and enrollment rates, while agriculture has not succeeded due to underfunded projects (Henochsberg, 2016). The explosion of public debt has prevented the country from diversifying its resources; the education system was ineffective despite being government sponsored (Henochsberg, 2016). In addition, the country was experiencing conflicts subject to external interference; this made productive investment impossible because peace and political will were weak. External interference, such as the failure of other countries to recognize Haiti's independence in 1804, made economic progress difficult while other countries were still engaged in the slave trade and slavery. In 1806, the United States imposed an embargo on Haiti, reducing the country's export base at the most critical time of its recovery. Haiti also could not engage in trade with France at the time when the two nations were involved in a law. Current state of development Haiti is still struggling to overcome the challenges it experienced after independence. The World Bank (2014) notes that the country's growing population, with few resources to support it, is increasing the levels of poverty and hunger in the country. Currently, the population stands at 10.4 million people; 52 percent of the Haitian population lives in rural areas while 42 percent live in urban areas. More than 70 percent of the population lives in poverty, with 10 percent living slightly above the poverty line; only two percent of the population can afford $10 a day. 64% of the country's total income is held by 20% of the population living in Haiti, implying that there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor in the country. The country is also prone to natural disasters which affect almost 95% of the population, as disasters such as weather, climate change and earthquakes affect agriculture, which is the country's main source of income. World Bank data shows that the urban population faces natural disasters. The challenges of job scarcity and underemployment force the majority of urban dwellers to continue to live in abject poverty, without employment or low wages (World Bank, 2014. Haiti has 40% of its urban population unemployed, while youth unemployment is 60 percent, among Haitians lucky to get a job in urban areas, 60 percent earn less than the country's minimum wage while womenearn 32 percent less than men. The situation in rural areas is not so better, with more than half of the country's population living. In rural areas, agriculture is the only source of income, with 80 percent of the rural population practicing agriculture. The use of traditional farming methods and traditional seeds prevents fields from producing sufficient yields to support people for long periods of time. Therefore, any disaster such as an earthquake, drought or climate change subjects more than 80 percent of the rural population to hunger. The World Bank notes that political instability has been a challenge for Haiti since independence and that the situation has become even worse with the change of regimes where few occur through democratic means. For example, in 2004, the country experienced political upheaval that led to the ouster of President Jean Bertrand Aristide. The country's economy is also poorly managed, leading to poor policy frameworks that do not meet the country's current needs. Bad decisions have contributed to poor investment decisions, delaying infrastructure development, industrial development and job creation. Haiti also experiences external shocks such as rising price fluctuations in exports. For example, between 2000 and 2002 the country experienced a decline in coffee and cocoa prices, and in 2008 import prices were high. Natural shocks such as earthquakes have also had devastating effects on Haiti's economy; the country has been prone to hurricanes and droughts which have led to hunger and worsened poverty levels. For example, the 2004 floods destroyed 5.5 percent of the country's GDP, while the 2008 hurricanes contributed to a more than 7 percent increase in domestic prices. The 2010 earthquake led to loss of life, destruction of property and displacement; nearly 120 percent of the country's GDP was destroyed; in 2012, drought and two hurricanes destroyed 1.3 percent of the agricultural sector. Interventions and Solutions Although Haiti is among the poorest nations in the world; the international community has taken various measures to resolve the problems that have affected the nation for over a century. Some of the measures were aimed at addressing humanitarian needs, conflict prevention, capacity building, state and country building, economic development and good governance. For example, in 2006, Haiti's debt stood at $1.8 billion, making it one of the world's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) (Maris & Irimie, 2011). However, in 2009, $1.2 billion in debt was forgiven. In 2010, the country had a total external debt of $890 million, including $100 million in IMF loans. In 2011, the Inter-American Development Bank agreed to cancel Haiti's debt of $441 million, and other countries such as Venezuela have proposed better terms to allow Haiti to settle outstanding debts over longer periods. long and uninteresting. Donations have also been helpful in meeting Haiti's urgent needs; for example, in 2008 the country received official development assistance (ODA) donations of $912 million. According to available statistics, 30% of the amount received was spent on social services such as health, peacebuilding and government services. The country had the least allocations in important sectors such as production infrastructure, services and economic infrastructure (Maris & Irimie, 2011). Research has shown that the problem of.