Launch of the State of the World’s Children 2012: Children in an Urban World
Children in peri-urban and urban areas are often the silent face of poverty and deprivations according to UNICEF’s annual flagship report the State of the World’s Children 2012: Children in an Urban World. Urban centres can offer children the advantages of schools, clinics and playgrounds. Yet the same cities are also the setting for some of the greatest disparities in children’s health, education and opportunities. The disparities and deprivations endured by children in poor urban communities are often obscured by broad statistical averages that lump together all city dwellers – rich and poor alike.
While a global report, its findings and call to action for Governments to address the growing populations and challenges for children and families in urban areas is an extremely timely and relevant one for Mongolia according to Gilles Fagninou, the UNICEF Deputy Representative.
Urbanization is increasingly becoming a challenge for Mongolia with urban population counting 2/3 of its total population and 40 percent of the country’s total population living exclusively in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. The ger district occupies approximately 90% of the land, houses approximately 60% of its population but receives only a fraction of the City budget.Infrastructure and services are not keeping up with urban growth in Mongolia and children’s basic needs are not being met. “Increasing distances from health facilities, schools running several shifts a day, a lack of safety for girls and inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene conditions are among the measurable deprivations in Ulaanbaatar”, said Fagninou.
The 2010 Population and Housing Census of Mongolia shows that nearly 60 percent of urban ger households share their sanitation facilities with other households, while about 5 percent of them have no specific toilets. The SOWCR 2012 highlights that this is the case in many cities, where public facilities are frequently overcrowded, poorly maintained and contaminated. Special provision for children is rare. Girls in particular may be exposed to the danger of sexual harassment or abuse, as well as a lack of adequate privacy, especially once they have begun menstruation.
Recent data in Mongolia (MICS 2010) show that the proportion of the population with access to improved water sources is almost 70 percent in urban areas. Yet when the situation of the poorest in the city is calculated less than one quarter have access to adequate water. “When averages are used in making urban policy and allocating resources, the needs of the poorest can be overlooked”, added Gilles Fagninou.
UNICEF urges governments to put children at the heart of urban planning and to extend and improve services for all. To start, more focused, accurate data are needed to help identify disparities among children in urban areas and how to bridge them. The shortage of such data is evidence of the neglect of these issues.
While governments at all levels can do more, community-based action is also a key to success. The report calls for greater recognition of community-based efforts to tackle urban poverty and gives examples of effective partnerships with the urban poor, including children and adolescents.
At the global level, UNICEF and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) have worked together for 15 years on the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative building partnerships to put children at the centre of the urban agenda and to provide services and create protected areas so children can have the safer and healthier childhoods they deserve.
“Urbanization is a fact of life and we must invest more in cities, focusing greater attention on providing services to the children in greatest need,” Tony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF said.
This year’s State of the World’s Children 2012 report is translated fully into Mongolian and disseminated widely to the government and non-government organizations, private sector organizations and development partners.
While a global report, its findings and call to action for Governments to address the growing populations and challenges for children and families in urban areas is an extremely timely and relevant one for Mongolia according to Gilles Fagninou, the UNICEF Deputy Representative.
Urbanization is increasingly becoming a challenge for Mongolia with urban population counting 2/3 of its total population and 40 percent of the country’s total population living exclusively in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. The ger district occupies approximately 90% of the land, houses approximately 60% of its population but receives only a fraction of the City budget.Infrastructure and services are not keeping up with urban growth in Mongolia and children’s basic needs are not being met. “Increasing distances from health facilities, schools running several shifts a day, a lack of safety for girls and inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene conditions are among the measurable deprivations in Ulaanbaatar”, said Fagninou.
The 2010 Population and Housing Census of Mongolia shows that nearly 60 percent of urban ger households share their sanitation facilities with other households, while about 5 percent of them have no specific toilets. The SOWCR 2012 highlights that this is the case in many cities, where public facilities are frequently overcrowded, poorly maintained and contaminated. Special provision for children is rare. Girls in particular may be exposed to the danger of sexual harassment or abuse, as well as a lack of adequate privacy, especially once they have begun menstruation.
Recent data in Mongolia (MICS 2010) show that the proportion of the population with access to improved water sources is almost 70 percent in urban areas. Yet when the situation of the poorest in the city is calculated less than one quarter have access to adequate water. “When averages are used in making urban policy and allocating resources, the needs of the poorest can be overlooked”, added Gilles Fagninou.
UNICEF urges governments to put children at the heart of urban planning and to extend and improve services for all. To start, more focused, accurate data are needed to help identify disparities among children in urban areas and how to bridge them. The shortage of such data is evidence of the neglect of these issues.
While governments at all levels can do more, community-based action is also a key to success. The report calls for greater recognition of community-based efforts to tackle urban poverty and gives examples of effective partnerships with the urban poor, including children and adolescents.
At the global level, UNICEF and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) have worked together for 15 years on the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative building partnerships to put children at the centre of the urban agenda and to provide services and create protected areas so children can have the safer and healthier childhoods they deserve.
“Urbanization is a fact of life and we must invest more in cities, focusing greater attention on providing services to the children in greatest need,” Tony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF said.
This year’s State of the World’s Children 2012 report is translated fully into Mongolian and disseminated widely to the government and non-government organizations, private sector organizations and development partners.
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