Nine million added to poverty list

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) said nine million people have been added to the poverty list for this year.



According to ECLAC, the number of poor in the region, including the Caribbean rose for the first time in six years, from 180 million to 189 million.



ECLAC said the nine million represents almost a quarter of the population that had already overcome poverty between 2002 and 2008 due to greater economic growth, the expansion of social spending and better income distribution.



The UN body is predicting that the number of truly destitute will reach 76 million, up from 71 million last year.