New World vs. Humanistic theory

I am a firm believer in ascension/spirit/human evolution and most other belief systems that espouse our 'ascension' process.
However, having said that I find myself at odds recently (probably always in retrospect!) when I recall Maslows Hierachy of Human Needs: "the assumption that human needs (and consequently motivations)exist in a hierachy, from the most basic to the most advanced. The further one progresses up this motivational pyramid, the more distinctly human one becomes. Higher motives will develop only when the more basic ones have been satisfied".

What are the more basic needs tht need to be satisfied in order to reach "self-actualisation'?

Physiological: nourishment, rest, food, clothing, etc.

Safety: adequate shelter, employment/ability to earn an income, etc.

Belongingness and Love: family and relationships on all levels, experiencing sharing.

Esteem: receiving feedback from others in the form of respect and assurance.

Self-Actualisation: fulfiling ones' individual anture in all its' aspects.

To meet the level of self-actualisation all other needs must have been met.
In order to 'ascend' we must be self-actualised beings. Agreed?

So how then can we be anywhere near the 'New Earth' and the ascension process when over half the earths' population cannot meet even the third level of self-actualisation?
How can a person become self-actualised when they are struggling to feed themselves and their families, desperate to achieve safety in a war torn or anarchaic society?

Maslow states that an essential component of self-actualisation is freedom from cultural and self-imposed restraints. (Same for attaining ascension is it not?)
How does the woman in Northern India who has been raped and subsequently shunned by her famnily because of it reach the level of Esteem, let alone the first level of having her physiological needs met? How does she ascend?

It is common belief within the behavioural sciences that self-actualisation is more often than not achieved in the middle years of adulthood. This may be so in 'modern' societies, but what of the majority here on earth who are 'third world' citizens? Most by middle adulthood are still struggling to reach the second level of safety, let alone the fifth level of self-actualisation.

So, I sit here in contemplation....

I can quit watching 'foreign correspondent' and 'cutting edge' on television; turn my back on world events, preferring to surround myself with blind bliss that all is well if I don't "buy into" the pain of the people suffering on earth as after all it is "all an illusion" or I can Question...and keep asking...and sending my love and healing to these unfortunate souls who may or may not be living the lives they chose before incarnating onto earth.

I am an EMPATH, and I cannot refuse to empathise with those whose pain reverberates around the planet I call home for now. I must acknowledge and I must question.
I'm not asking for your answers as they will be as varied as the faces you wear in this lifetime and all will be correct as personal interpretations of your experiences.
I am merely questioning, just asking and always loving and ALWAYS seeking......