RWANDA POOREST COUNTRY IN AFRICA

A recent study by the Organisation for Social Science and Research in
Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) has determined that, in comparison to
social indicators of other sub-Saharan
nations, Rwanda has the highest level of poverty, the Rwanda News Agency
reported on Friday. "Comparatively, Rwanda is far behind the sub-Saharan
Africa average in cases of many indicators," the report said, noting that up
to 65 percent of Rwandans live below the poverty line.
Speaking at a recent seminar on poverty reduction, Rwandan Finance Minister
Donald Kaberuka said that 53 percent of the Rwandan population lived under
the poverty line before the 1994 genocide, but that this figure increased to
70 percent after the genocide. The level has since fallen to 62 percent.

SOURCE: IRIN Africa English reports, 15 October 2001