Difficulty of reducing poverty represents today a major challenge for all countries. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to consider the effect of economic growth and inequality on poverty during crisis periods . This study covers a MENA sample composed of eight countries (Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria and Yemen) from 1990 up to 2009. The econometric results show that economic growth and income inequality are proceeding in an opposite direction as for as poverty is concerned.