From the UN Website:

Poverty is not solely an economic problem

In a world characterized by an unprecedented level of economic development, technological means, and financial resources, the fact that millions of persons are living in extreme poverty is a moral outrage.

Poverty is not solely an economic issue, but rather a multidimensional phenomenon that encompasses a lack of both income and the basic capabilities to live in dignity.

Persons living in poverty experience many interrelated and mutually reinforcing deprivations that prevent them from realizing their rights and perpetuate their poverty, including:

• dangerous work conditions
• unsafe housing
• lack of nutritious food
• unequal access to justice
• lack of political power
• limited access to health care

The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 47/196 of 22 December 1992, marks 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.