"Spain is utterly failing people in poverty." The damning assessment came from the United Nations' poverty expert Philip Alston, following a twelve day trip around the country.

The Australian has been in Spain on his final fact-finding mission as the UN's Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, a role he has had since 2014.

What Alston has found on his trip is a country that has seemingly recovered from the 2008 economic crisis and yet still suffers from deep rooted socio-economic problems.

Economic recovery masks social problems

Despite Spain experiencing four years of economic growth from 2014 to 2018, according to figures from its own National Statistics Institute, just over a quarter of people living in the country find themselves below the poverty line and about half the population have some difficulty making ends meet.

Housing and unemployment are central to the growing poverty crisis with many people relying on church funded charities like Caritas to bridge the gap.

"I can't imagine it, I don't know what I would have done without Caritas, if they hadn't given me the house," says Jocelyn Garcia Martinez, a single mother from the Dominican Republic who lives in accommodation provided by the charity.

"I have been without a job for two years and my ex-husband sends me just €150 and the rest I need for the month, Caritas gives me."

Poverty crisis not a new phenomenon

The head of Caritas, Raul Flores, says the problems facing Jocelyn and others are nothing new.

"Spain has always had a high rate of poverty, many factors are involved but one key is inequality.

"Spain has the fifth worst ranking in inequality between the middle and lower class of all OECD countries. That inequality and lack of richness distribution is the one that creates this poverty situation."

Alston says he is hopeful the government of Pedro Sanchez may focus more on wealth distribution now that the overall economy seems to be improving. 

"Although Spain is thriving economically far too many people are struggling."

"The bright spot in the situation is that the new coalition government is firmly committed to achieving social justice, but the challenges are great."

So, tough challenges but Alston's findings may at least help put the issue of extreme poverty back on the political agenda, which would be an important first step in fighting this problem.

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