--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Too often, poverty and deprivation get…" description: "\"“Too often, poverty and deprivation get covered as events. That is, when some disaster strikes, when people die. Yet, poverty is about much more than s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/p-sainath-59704_drinking-water_too-often-poverty-and-deprivation-get-co_3142173.jpg" --- # Too often, poverty and deprivation get covered as events… ![“Too often, poverty and deprivation get covered as events. That is, when some disaster strikes, when people die. Yet, poverty is about much more than starvation deaths or near famine conditions. It is the sum total of a multiplicity of factors. The weightage of some of these varies from region to…” quote by P Sainath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/p-sainath-59704_drinking-water_too-often-poverty-and-deprivation-get-co_3142173.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/p-sainath-59704_drinking-water_too-often-poverty-and-deprivation-get-co_3142173.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/p-sainath-59704_drinking-water_too-often-poverty-and-deprivation-get-co_3142173.jpg) > ““Too often, poverty and deprivation get covered as events. That is, when some disaster strikes, when people die. Yet, poverty is about much more than starvation deaths or near famine conditions. It is the sum total of a multiplicity of factors. The weightage of some of these varies from region to region, society to society, culture to culture. But at the core is a fairly compact number of factors. They include not just income and calorie intake. Land, health, education, literacy, infant mortality rates and life expectancy are also some of them. Debt, assets, irrigation, drinking water, sanitation and jobs count too. You can have the mandatory 2,400 or 2,100 calories a day and yet be very poor. India’s problems differ from those of a Somalia or Ethiopia in crisis. Hunger—again just one aspect of poverty—is far more complex here. It is more low level, less visible and does not make for the dramatic television footage that a Somalia and Ethiopia do. That makes covering the process more challenging—and more important. Many who do not starve receive very inadequate nutrition. Children getting less food than they need can look quite normal. Yet poor nutrition can impair both mental and physical growth and they can suffer its debilitating impact all their lives. A person lacking minimal access to health at critical moments can face destruction almost as surely as one in hunger.”” [P Sainath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-sainath/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poverty is multidimensional, involving health, education, sanitation, and more, not just income or hunger. **In simple terms:** Poverty includes many factors beyond money and food. Key Takeaway Address multiple deprivation dimensions. Themes poverty development health education inequality Mood concerned analytical urgent Type analytical policy When to use this quote - policy planning - NGO programs - community health - education reform - infrastructure projects Key Concepts multidimensional poverty human development index social determinants Questions to Reflect On - What dimensions of poverty are most overlooked in your community? - How can policies balance immediate needs with long‑term development? A Different Perspective Complex measurement and data collection hinder effective interventions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deprivation Covered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deprivation-covered-5603885/) [Drinking water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking-water/) [Health education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-education/) [Infant mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infant-mortality/) [Life expectancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-expectancy/) [Low level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/low-level/) [Poor Nutrition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-nutrition-568412/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Poverty Deprivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty-deprivation-1062385/) [Poverty Starvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty-starvation-1537693/) [Starvation Deaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starvation-deaths-5223636/) ## Related quotes > [There is no actual starvation or deaths from starvation but there is widespread mortality from diseases due to malnutrition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-duranty/there-is-no-actual-starvation-or-deaths-from-starvation-but-there-is/) [Walter Duranty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-duranty/) > [In our fast-forward culture, we have lost the art of eating well. 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We relate the problem to other nations, like Ethiopia, India or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-davis/when-we-think-about-millions-of-hungry-children-we-don-t-think-about/) [Kristin Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-davis/) > [The enemy of human happiness as well as the cause of poverty and starvation is not the birth of children. It is the failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/the-enemy-of-human-happiness-as-well-as-the-cause-of-poverty-and/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [There are millions and millions of people who are thrown in the midst of poverty and starvation. 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Not only is this wrong, I think this attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-tabarrok/i-utterly-reject-the-view-that-the-third-world-is-doomed-to-poverty/) [Alex Tabarrok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-tabarrok/) > [The peoples of many countries are being taxed to the point of poverty and starvation... to enable governments to engage in a mad race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-peoples-of-many-countries-are-being-taxed-to-the-point-of-poverty/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Poverty is not only about income poverty, it is about the deprivation of economic and social rights, insecurity, discrimination, exclusion and powerlessness. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-khan/poverty-is-not-only-about-income-poverty-it-is-about-the-deprivation/) [Irene Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irene-khan/) > [The world remains beset by so much human suffering, poverty and deprivation. It is in your hands to make of our world a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/the-world-remains-beset-by-so-much-human-suffering-poverty-and/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“I have no doubt that the elimination of poverty and deprivation is possible by 2020.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-k-prahalad-2/i-have-no-doubt-that-the-elimination-of-poverty-and-deprivation-is/) [C.K. Prahalad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-k-prahalad-2/) > [Poverty and deprivation lead to frustration, making the masses vulnerable to exploitation by extremist organizations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pervez-musharraf/poverty-and-deprivation-lead-to-frustration-making-the-masses/) [Pervez Musharraf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pervez-musharraf/) > [Poverty is not deprivation, it is isolation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/poverty-is-not-deprivation-it-is-isolation/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More by P Sainath > [“The global aid community is mobilised into fighting drought in a district that gets 1,500 mm of rainfall annually. The reverse spiral begins. Donor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-sainath/the-global-aid-community-is-mobilised-into-fighting-drought-in-a/) [P Sainath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-sainath/) > [“Denying the poor access to knowledge goes back a long way. 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Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazantsakis-nikos/christ-is-born-my-wise-solomon-my-wretched-pen-pusher-don-t-go/) [Kazantsakis Nikos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazantsakis-nikos/) > [The way we guarantee safe drinking water is broken and needs to be fixed,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-browner/the-way-we-guarantee-safe-drinking-water-is-broken-and-needs-to-be/) [Carol Browner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-browner/) > [The world needs water. 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