Though Egypt’s capital city of Cairo has a thriving middle-class and the country is rich in industry, the contrast between north and south, urban and rural, is striking.

Around 44 percent of Egyptians live on less than $2 a day. The poor live mainly in rural areas such as Upper Egypt, where rapid population growth has led to water shortages and lack of sanitation, and where high rates of illiteracy, malnutrition and infant mortality are common.

Increased levels of migration mean that urban areas are quickly catching up in the poverty stakes and homelessness and unemployment, particularly in Cairo are growing problems.