believed in the right of all people to live a dignified life in an atmosphere of peace. Economic crises, indebtedness and vast disparities of income were the basic causes of revolutions, wars and other disasters which deprived people of their human rights and even the basic right to life itself. 103. It had recently been reported that the total indebtedness of the Arab world amounted to $208 billion while the foreign assets of the six States members of the Gulf Co-operation Council, with a total population of only 10 million, stood at $670 billion. The Arab world as a whole was therefore a creditor in the international monetary system to the extent of $462 billion. In 1988 annual per capita income in the Gulf States had been over $14,000 but in Eygpt it was only $680 and in Yemen $420. Moreover, when some Arab countries had requested that their loans be rescheduled or new loans granted, the banks of the Emirs had refused to provide guarantees. The IMF had then called on the Arab Governments to put pressure on the labouring masses to make greater sacrifices, thereby depriving them of a decent life, even in cases where scheduled debt repayments exceeded the country's export earnings. 104. When oil had first been discovered, the Western colonialists had partitioned the Arab world into small States with puppet regimes which served foreign interests, leading to corruption which sapped the will of the people. The people had been deprived not only of their human rights but also of the spiritual and religious values of Islam which prescribed that all should share in the national patrimony. 105. That situation shed light on the current conflict in the Gulf, on the justice of Iraq's claims and on the solidarity of the Arab masses with Iraq 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the economic disparities and debt crises in the Arab world, highlighting the vast differences in income between countries and the impact on the human rights and living standards of the people. The text also touches on the historical context of the Arab world's partitioning and the exploitation of its natural resources. These themes suggest that the text is primarily concerned with economic and social issues.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade