A United Nations expert slammed the alarming levels of poverty in the US on Friday, saying that the situation is likely to get worse under US President Donald Trump.

Official US figures show that more than one in eight Americans live in poverty, but the UN official warned that the numbers are likely to rise under the Republican's new tax reform plan.

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Poverty in America Homeless in Los Angeles Impoverishment in the world's largest economy remains far from being eradicated 50 years after President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty in America in his first State of the Union address on January 8, 1964.

Poverty in America City-dwellers without food Hunger is caused by poverty. According to a study by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, New York City's homeless population increased in 2013. Only Los Angeles had a larger percentage increase than New York among the country's large cities.

Poverty in America Soup kitchen comfort Emergency food assistance is in great demand: The Food Bank for New York City provides some 400,000 free meals per day throughout the city.

Poverty in America Trying times According to a US Census Bureau report, nearly one in three Americans experienced poverty for at least two months during the global recession between 2009 and 2011.

Poverty in America Troubling signs in 2013 Often, people have jobs but still can't make ends meet. They are often called the working poor. In the US, the national minimum wage is $7.25 (5.30 euros). A 2013 Gallup poll showed that 20 percent of American adults struggled to buy enough food at some point during the year.

Poverty in America A special treat This coupon for a free Thanksgiving turkey is intended to combat the dire situation facing many New Yorkers. The New York City Coalition Against Hunger says one-sixth of the city's residents lived in households last year without sufficient food to eat.

Poverty in America Feeding hope The Manna Food Center in the Washington DC area hands out free monthly food packages to the needy, many of whom are families. More than 16 million children in the richest country in the world live in poverty. They represent a disproportionate share of the poor in the United States.

Poverty in America Skyrocketing demand for aid Poverty affected some 47 million Americans, including 13 million children, in 2012. The country's food stamp program, in which qualifying individuals receive government subsidies for approved food items, reportedly served 26 million people before the recession - a figure that has skyrocketed since 2010. Author: Dagmar Breitenbach



The downward spiral of poverty

Philip Alston, the UN's special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, undertook a two-week fact-finding visit to several US states and Puerto Rico. Alston detailed several examples of poverty he found during his tour, including:

Hookworm, an intestinal parasite, has returned in several communities in the South

Wal-Mart workers who rely on government-issued food stamps

Children raised in poverty have little to no access to healthcare, quality nutrition or decent education

Poor people are often in and out of prison, making many unable to vote due to their criminal records

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Watch video 04:05 Share Between rich and poor: Pennsylvania Avenue Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2SAu2 Between rich and poor: Pennsylvania Avenue

'Inequality will skyrocket'

In a statement, Alston called out several Trump administration policies that will lead to an increase in poverty, saying:

"The US Congress is trying desperately to pass a tax bill that, if adopted, would represent the single most dramatic increase in inequality that could be imagined."

Trump's proposed cuts to social welfare programs will damage a safety net for the poor that is already "riddled with holes" and that should the cuts become reality, "inequality will skyrocket."

"The American Dream is rapidly becoming the American Illusion, as the US now has the lowest rate of social mobility of any of the rich countries."

"Poor people have no chance of having their voices heard, no chance of influencing public policy."

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Watch video 01:30 Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty

Why is this important: Trump has promised to boost economic prospects in the US. But many of his policies, particularly his pending tax reform bill, have been criticized as actually widening the gulf between rich and poor in the world's largest economy.

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How bad are poverty levels in the US: US Census data shows that 40 million people — more than 12 percent of the population— are living in poverty in the US. Almost half of those are living in "deep poverty."

What does the US tax bill have to do with this: The Republican-backed bill proposes dramatic tax cuts for businesses as well as wealthy and some middle-class Americans. Democrats and others have criticized the bill for primarily benefiting the rich rather than alleviating financial strain on the poor.

Who is the special rapporteur: Alston, originally from Australia, is an independent expert who was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate global poverty.

What happens next: Alston's full report on the state of poverty in the US will be released next spring and will be presented to the Human Rights Council next June. The full report will highlight the roles that race, gender, voter disenfranchisement and high rates of incarceration play in keeping people locked in the cycle of poverty.

rs/aw (AFP, Reuters)