“The time for action has never been more urgent - rising food prices have plunged 100 million more people into poverty, and the economic slowdown risks eroding political support for development,” HM Queen Rania Al-Abdullah.

This morning, the taxi driver who gave me a ride to work tuned in to one of the local radio stations and although decaffeinated, I found myself listening to the host bashing merchants who were quickly to rise their prices when international oil prices increased but have done nothing after 3 sequent reductions in oil prices! and then of course I had to listen to merchants defending themselves by blaming the industry leaders…seemed like an empty cycle to me.

According to a 2-year old report by the UN, 40 out of 101 of the country’s municipalities live below the poverty line, 20 of them are considered extremely poor. God knows how many out of 101 are below the poverty line now.

And while the increased prices in Jordan remain unchanged , despite of the decrease in world oil prices, the attitude of the Jordanian street too remain unchanged.

Read more about Global Poverty:

• Global Call to Action Against Poverty

• in my name

• Make Poverty History

• Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty