The urban populations living in informal poorest one fifth of the urban population settlements such as slums usually do not get not to mention that the urban poor pay 30% a chance to clean their food properly due to more for their food compared to the rural lack of clean water. Water sanitation may poor. be the most significant issue, as even today, Street Children there are people who access water from "Unless governments, in partnership unimproved sources, such as wells, rivers with civil society, embark on and ponds. Slum-dwellers may (Photograph poverty alleviation through massive 2: Man using the bathroom where the children are investments in social programs for playing, D’Souza, 2006) urban working/street children, more have to wait in for hours and end up and more will become victims of having to store water in their houses which drugs, sexual exploitation, physical lowers the quality of the drinking water. abuse or forced into criminal According to the World Health activities". (Senator Ernesto Organization, the lack of sanitized toilets is Herrera, Philippine Senate) another matter, only 66% of the urban In most countries in the region, children population has access to safe sanitation; under the age of 14 make up for more than some living in slums defecate in plastic 30% of the population. A child is defined bags, buckets and 8% per cent of urban in Convention on the Rights of the Child residents defecate to open pits or public (1989), as any human being below the age areas. of 18. The United Nations International Food hygiene and quality are issues Children's Emergency Fund defines street threatening the health of the urban poor. children as: Women in the region, because of hard working conditions and consumption of from migrant families “..children living and working on the street in high levels of processed food, end public areas, with one or both breastfeeding their children 2-3 months parents or guardians; children prior to the common period of time in the working on the street who live at urban areas. Malnutrition is also problematic since, for example in India, home with their parents or guardians; or children who have underweight children constitute 66% of the left home for economic reasons and
The urban populations living in informal settlements such as slums usually do not get a chance to clean their food properly due to lack of clean water. Water sanitation may be the most significant issue, as even today, there are people who access water from unimproved sources, such as wells, rivers and ponds. Slum-dwellers may (Photograph 2: Man using the bathroom where the children are playing, D’Souza, 2006) have to wait in for hours and end up having to store water in their houses which lowers the quality of the drinking water. According to the World Health Organization, the lack of sanitized toilets is another matter, only 66% of the urban population has access to safe sanitation; some living in slums defecate in plastic bags, buckets and 8% per cent of urban residents defecate to open pits or public areas. Food hygiene and quality are issues threatening the health of the urban poor. Women in the region, because of hard working conditions and consumption of high levels of processed food, end breastfeeding their children 2-3 months prior to the common period of time in the urban areas. Malnutrition is also problematic since, for example in India, underweight children constitute 66% of the poorest one fifth of the urban population not to mention that the urban poor pay 30% more for their food compared to the rural poor. Street Children "Unless governments, in partnership with civil society, embark on poverty alleviation through massive investments in social programs for urban working/street children, more and more will become victims of drugs, sexual exploitation, physical abuse or forced into criminal activities". (Senator Ernesto Herrera, Philippine Senate) In most countries in the region, children under the age of 14 make up for more than 30% of the population. A child is defined in Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), as any human being below the age of 18. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund defines street children as: “..children from migrant families living and working on the street in public areas, with one or both parents or guardians; children working on the street who live at home with their parents or guardians; or children who have left home for economic reasons and
UNESCAP.docx