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Priorities of the People: Hardship in the Marshall Islands

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Introduction

In the Marshall Islands, abject poverty or destitution ( jeramwil) does not exist since the poor are not starving and most have access to land and other natural resources. However, many people are poor and facing hardship, and the problem seems to be getting worse. The 1999 Pacific Human Development Report ranked the Marshall Islands 8^th out of 12 Pacific developing countries, which represents a downgrading from the country’s position as 5^th in 1994. It is estimated that, in 1999, two thirds of outer island households fell below the poverty line of $1 a day.

A house made of scrap materials

The Marshall Islands is one of the most urbanized countries in the Pacific with almost 70% of the population living either on Majuro or Ebeye. The high population density on these two islands, combined with economic decline in rural areas, are the cause of many of the problems being experienced.

There have been recent improvements, particularly in the areas of infant mortality, immunization, and the incidence of underweight children, but the government recognizes that it needs to better understand the nature of hardship in the country and develop ways to address it. In 2002, the government led a “Participatory Assessment on Hardship” to find out the needs, views, and hopes of communities living throughout the country, especially the disadvantaged and poor themselves.

Ten sample communities were selected to represent both rural and urban areas and differing levels of access to services: four outer island communities on Ailinglaplap and Arno Atolls, three urban neighborhoods on Ebeye Island, and three communities on Majuro Atoll. One-on-one interviews, small group discussions, questionnaires, and case studies were used during the assessment to gather information from people in these communities, and discussions were held with government representatives and social, religious, and nongovernment organizations. A national workshop was held to discuss the assessment findings and formulate strategies and recommendations. The assessment was funded by the Asian Development Bank.

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