When poverty is defined as the lower quintile of income, poverty cannot be eliminated.
There will always be uncivilized people.
There are always be some people better off than others.
There will always be people smarter/handsomer/stronger/etc. than others.
There will always be people who want to destroy things.
There will always be people who take risks and ruin their lives.
There will always be alcoholics and drug addicts.
Consider how the standard of living has improved enormously over the last 200 years, yet nobody is satisfied.