Aid

The arogi.gov.gr platform opened on Friday for the submission of applications for first aid for those affected by the floods that occurred from November 30 to December 2 on Rhodes, Limnos, Halkidiki and in Pieria.

Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA) Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher holds the Global Humanitarian Overwiew 2025 report during a press conference in Geneva on Dec. 3, 2024

Bulgaria has approved humanitarian aid amounting to 929,019 leva to support Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Armenia. This assistance will be offered as voluntary contributions through international organizations, as confirmed by a recent government decision.

Poorer nations are increasingly struggling to navigate the sluggish global economy, the UN has warned, calling for a fundamental rethinking of development strategies.

A report from the United Nations' trade and development agency UNCTAD highlighted how slow growth, soaring debt burdens, and weak investment and trade, were holding back developing countries.

A large part of Greek society (combining various indicators and statistics, one can estimate it's approximately a third of it) is having difficulty making ends meet. If in previous years poverty was linked to unemployment, today the "strong" Greek economy is massively producing the newly poor - people who are poor or penniless even though they have a job.

The 26 poorest countries in the world, which collectively house 40% of the globe's most impoverished population, have accumulated significant debt since 2006. According to a new report from the World Bank, these nations are increasingly susceptible to natural disasters and economic shocks, as reported by Reuters and BTA.

Nearly half of Bulgaria's pensioners are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, as highlighted in the European Commission's pension adequacy report. Data for 2022 reveals that 45.5% of individuals aged 65 and older in the country face this concerning situation.

The idea that subsidies for businesses and development projects should not be distributed through the current process, but as a tax deductions, could contribute to the transparency and effectiveness of state aid. 

The aid given to businesses from time to time has not paid off as expected and certainly did not reduce Greece's productive deficit. 

Two out of five households spend more than they declare, with this percentage appearing higher after the start of the inflation crisis.

The government has set the poverty line in Bulgaria for 2025 at 638 leva (326 euros), marking an increase of 112 leva, or 21.3%, compared to 2024. This adjustment is expected to positively impact vulnerable populations and low-income groups by raising the value of social benefits tied to the poverty line.