Index IntroductionBodyCurrent state of development Interventions and solutions ConclusionReferenceIntroductionPoverty is a state in which an individual is unable to satisfy basic human needs such as food, good housing, clothing and healthcare. However, the term also applies to countries that do not produce sufficient resources to support their populations; Hunger is a condition in which people cannot meet their nutritional needs for a certain period due to various reasons, such as persistent drought or lack of access to nutritional food products; people who suffer from hunger are malnourished. Haiti has been considered one of the poorest countries in the world, and efforts to improve the country's economic situation have produced limited results. Word Bank (2014) finds that with a population of 10.4 million people, 52% of Haitians live in rural areas while 42% live in urban areas. Over 70% of the population lives in poverty, while 10% live slightly above the poverty line; only 2% of the population can afford $10 a day. The country is also susceptible to natural disasters that affect nearly 95% of the population because disasters such as weather, climate change and earthquakes affect agriculture, which is the country's main source of livelihood. This essay examines poverty, hunger and development using a realist perspective. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayBodyThe realist perspective of social ontology argues that it is important to focus on social relations when describing social phenomena. The perspective believes that society is composed of social relationships, in which social practices are performed (Jones 2011). The World Bank believes that poverty is living below certain standards that have been considered thresholds; for example, living on less than $1 a day in Africa is considered to be living in poverty (World Bank, 2014). Failure to meet human needs can be interpreted as an interpretation of poverty. Therefore, realism identifies the poor as people who cannot earn enough money to purchase the minimum material needs required for survival. For example, a project in the rural area that aims to increase farmers' income will likely increase farmers' productivity by allowing them to diversify into cash crops to increase income. However, humans are complex and layered natural beings with diverse causal powers where certain conditions must be met to realize their potential; conditions are always perceived as objects of human needs. Human beings satisfy their needs by consciously producing the objects they need to satisfy their needs. The production process involves planning, reflection, learning, and causal interaction with material nature and social process requiring cooperation and coordination of separate entities. In this way, knowledge about nature and various production techniques is developed, or obtained, and transmitted. Poverty, according to realists, “is a condition in which human needs are not adequately satisfied and the realization of various human powers is limited or prevented” (Jones, 2011, p.5). Historical: Haiti, despite its current poverty situation was once considered the "jewel in the French crown" during the colonial period ending in 1804. The graph (diagram 1) below shows that Haiti exhibited a higher GDP that did not match that of no country in the world, including the United States and France,during From 1760 to 1790, (Henochsberg, 2016, p.39). Studies reveal that the country began to have problems that led to extreme poverty during the war of independence and after gaining independence; for example, after independence, France imposed a public debt on it in 1825. Haiti, compared to other Caribbean countries, faced infrastructure development challenges that made it difficult to match other countries; these were associated with poor political leadership and loan management problems that contributed to corruption. The country's savings were aimed at paying off the growing debt, leaving fewer resources for investment. The sectors in which the government managed to invest were education and agriculture; however, despite this effort, education has failed due to low enrollment and school attendance, while agriculture has failed due to underfunded projects (Henochsberg, 2016). The exponential increase in public debt has made it impossible for the country to diversify its resources; the education system was inefficient despite being sponsored by the government (Henochsberg, 2016). Furthermore, the country was going through conflicts that had external interference; this made it impossible for any investment to be productive because peace and political will were low. External interference, such as other countries' failure to recognize Haiti's independence in 1804, made economic progress difficult as other countries were still engaged in the slave trade and slavery. In 1806, the United States placed an embargo on Haiti, reducing the nation's export base in the most critical period of its recovery. Haiti could not even trade with France during the time the two nations were involved in a law. Current State of Development Haiti is currently still struggling to emerge from the challenges it faced after independence. The World Bank (2014) notes that the country's growing population with few resources to support it is increasing the country's levels of poverty and hunger. Currently the population amounts to 10.4 million people; 52% of Haitians live in rural areas while 42% live in urban areas. Over 70% of the population lives in poverty, while 10% live slightly above the poverty line; only 2% of the population can afford $10 a day. 64% of the country's total income is held by 20% of people living in Haiti, implying that the country has a huge gap between rich and poor. The country is also exposed to natural disasters that affect almost 95% of the population because disasters such as weather, climate change and earthquakes affect agriculture, which is the country's main source of livelihood. World Bank data shows that urban populations experience the challenges of job scarcity and underemployment resulting in the majority of city dwellers continuing to live in extreme poverty, without work or on low wages (World Bank , 2014. Haiti has 40% of its urban population unemployed, while youth unemployment is 60%. 60% of lucky Haitians who find work in urban settings earn less than the country's minimum wage, while women earn 32% fewer than men. The situation in rural areas is no better, where more than half of the country's population lives in rural areas, agriculture is the only source of income with 80% of people practicing agriculture. The use of traditional agricultural methods and traditional seeds makes it difficult for fields to produce sufficient crops to sustain populations for longer periods. Therefore, any catastrophe such as an earthquake, droughto climate change subjects more than 80% of the rural population to hunger. regimes in which few occur through democratic means. In 2004, for example, the country experienced the political upheavals that led to the ouster of President Jean Bertrand Aristide. The country's economy is also poorly managed, leading to inadequate policy frameworks that do not respond to the country's current needs. Poor decisions have contributed to poor investment decisions, delaying infrastructure development, industrial development and job creation. Haiti is also experiencing external shocks such as price fluctuations in exports. For example, between 2000 and 2002, the country experienced declining coffee and cocoa prices, and in 2008 import prices remained high. Natural shocks such as earthquakes have also had devastating effects on Haiti's economy; the country has been subject to hurricanes and droughts which have led to hunger and worsening poverty levels. For example, the 2004 floods destroyed 5.5% of the country's GDP, while the 2008 hurricanes contributed to more than 7% increases in domestic prices. The 2010 earthquake resulted in loss of life, destruction of property, and displacement; nearly 120% of the country's GDP was destroyed; in 2012, drought and two hurricanes destroyed 1.3% of the agricultural sector. Interventions and Solutions Although Haiti is among the poorest nations in the world; the international community has taken several measures to address the problems that have plagued the nation for over a century. Some of the measures were aimed at addressing humanitarian needs, conflict prevention, capacity building, state and nation building, economic development and good governance. For example, in 2006, Haiti's debt amounted to $1.8 billion, making it one of the world's highly indebted poor countries (HIPCs) ( Maris & Irimie, 2011 ). However, in 2009, $1.2 billion of debt was canceled. In 2010, the country had a total external debt of $890 million, including an IMF loan of $100 million. In 2011, the Inter-American Development Bank agreed to cancel Haiti's $441 million in debt, and other countries, such as Venezuela, have offered better ways to allow Haiti to pay off outstanding debts for longer, interest-free periods. The donations were also useful in addressing the urgent needs of Haiti; for example, in 2008, the country received Official Development Assistance (ODA) donations of $912 million. According to available statistics, 30% of the amount received was spent on social services such as healthcare, peacebuilding and government services. The country had the least endowment in important sectors such as productive infrastructure, services and economic infrastructure (Maris & Irimie, 2011). Research has shown that Haiti's poverty problem cannot be solved with external interventions alone; it is necessary for the country's leadership to take an important role in reducing the country's high poverty indices by providing good governance and resource management (Maris & Irimie, 2011). For example, donations of $912 million in 2008 were not adequately managed to ensure the country became sustainable. The country's SWOT analysis reveals that its strengths are cheap labor and natural resources such as beaches that can be properly managed to attract tourists. The country should invest in education and reskilling to ensure that the existing workforce has adequate skills that can promote industrial development and service delivery. The Bank's report