The cost of inequality

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America and Europe at odds over helping poor

Aid agencies questioning the US order of priorities

The cost of inequality

European fishing fleets plundering west African stocks

Rupert Cornwell: Is America ready to lead the global war on poverty?

* 1.3 billion people live on less than $1 a day, a figure that is growing; 2.8 billion – almost half the world's population – live on less than $2 a day.

* The richest fifth of the world's population enjoys 80 per cent of global income, while the poorest fifth has just 1 per cent of it.

* Third World debt is in the region of $400bn.

Sub-Saharan Africa spends $40m a week on debt repayment.

* 130 million children are without access to education.

* 2 million people will die of HIV/Aids in the next year.

* 800 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are not getting enough food.

* 3 billion people have no access to adequate sanitation.

* The gap between the poorest fifth and richest fifth of the world's population has doubled between 1960 and 2000.

* A World Health Organisation plan to save the lives of 8 million people a year would require an increase in spending on health in poorer countries of about $50bn a year – about the same as the planned increase in the US defence budget in 2003.

* Unless Third World debt is written off, UN plans to halve hunger and extreme poverty and tackle the HIV/Aids pandemic are likely to fail.