, Alabama has the sixth highest poverty rate among states in the U.S. In 2017, United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston toured parts of rural Alabama and observed environmental conditions he said were poorer than anywhere he had seen in the developed world.
, ˌæləbˈæmə hɐz ðə sˈɪksθ hˈaɪɪst pˈɑːvɚɾi ɹˈeɪt ɐmˌʌŋ stˈeɪts ɪnðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvəntˌiːn, juːnˈaɪɾᵻd nˈeɪʃənz spˈɛʃəl ɹˌæpoːɹtˈʊɹ fˈɪlɪp ˈælstən tˈʊɹd pˈɑːɹts ʌv ɹˈʊɹɹəl ˌæləbˈæmə ænd əbzˈɜːvd ɛnvˌaɪɹənmˈɛntəl kəndˈɪʃənz hiː sˈɛd wɜː pˈʊɹɹɚ ðɐn ˈɛnɪwˌɛɹ hiː hæd sˈiːn ɪnðə dɪvˈɛləpt wˈɜːld.